GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — At 19-years-old, Green Bay student Mason MacNeil was working hard toward his dream of becoming a police officer—then he got news he never expected to hear.
In the summer of 2024, MacNeil took a public works job working with pesticides. When he started to get night sweats and itchy skin, he attributed his symptoms to his work.
“We never really expected it to be cancer,” MacNeil said.
Blood work revealed low iron levels, but when symptoms persisted, the MacNeil family grew concerned.
October came, and MacNeil noticed a decline in his ability to meet the physical demand of the law enforcement academy.
Scans revealed MacNeil’s diagnosis: Hodgkin Lymphoma.
He remembers that day as "scary."
“At the time, I didn’t know I’d be sitting here today,’ MacNeil recalled. “It was kind of like a worst-case scenario in my head...There were a lot of tears shed.”
Watch the full story by Jessica Goska here:
The diagnosis emphasized to MacNeil that cancer has no age limits, something he had learned three years prior with the passing of his young friend.
“When I was 16, one of my friends named Nelson Vande Hei passed away from cancer,” MacNeil explained. “He was a very motivating factor for me...’I can push through this. He did this. I can make it,” MacNeil remembers thinking.
He began bi-weekly chemotherapy treatments while working toward finishing the first semester of the police academy.
“I really pushed myself to finish one semester because I wanted to prove I could do it,” MacNeil said.
His classmates and professors supported his goal, and now cancer free, MacNeil is planning his return to the academy this January.
He shares his story to encourage everyone to prioritize their health and get screened for cancer before symptoms begin:
“Listen to your body,” MacNeil said. “If something’s wrong, don’t push it away because you think you’re tough.”
The cancer team at Emplify Health by Bellin says recommended screenings cover five common cancers, and they’re covered by Primary Care Providers as part of an annual physical.
MacNeil is grateful for the team that saved his life, and he plans to pay it forward with his career:
“I know since I’m here, it means something,” he stated. “I’m thankful to be alive...and I’ve always wanted to make a difference.”
