John C. (Jack) Moorman: Back on the Golf Course Rebuilding His Game, Thanks to a Clinical Study

In May 2023, Jack Moorman was feeling great. He walked 5 miles each day with his wife through Wicker Memorial Park in Highland, Indiana. At 65, retired and in good shape, he was focused on staying active and enjoying life between his home in Indiana and snow birding in Florida. The only reason he went to his doctor was a billing issue with Medicare. It may have saved his life.

Routine bloodwork revealed that his white blood cell and platelet counts were abnormally low. Initially suspecting an infection, his primary care doctor recommended a follow-up. Weeks later, a rheumatologist ordered a bone marrow biopsy. The diagnosis came on June 1, 2023: acute myeloid leukemia (AML)—specifically, an intermediate-risk subtype with a high risk of relapse. “I was asymptomatic. If I had not gone in, they told me I would be dead,” said Jack.

Jack’s local oncologist referred him to the University of Chicago, where he met Dr. Anand Patel, an encounter Jack now calls the most important 75-minute conversation of his life. Together, they discussed treatment options, including intensive chemotherapy typically reserved for younger patients.

But Dr. Patel offered something else: a spot in a clinical trial testing a new targeted therapy called revumenib, as part of the Beat AML trial. Jack had a specific genetic mutation—KMT2A translocation—for which revumenib was designed. With only one spot left in the trial, he did not hesitate. “I got the last seat,” remembers Jack.

The timing was critical. Between his June 1 diagnosis and a June 8 enrollment in the trial, the leukemia cells in Jack’s bone marrow increased from 30 percent to 82 percent. The treatment combined the investigational targeted therapy, revumenib, with two other established AML treatments, azacitidine and venetoclax. After just one 28-day cycle, Jack achieved complete remission.

Due to the high relapse risk associated with his mutation, his care team recommended a stem cell transplant. It would mean replacing his immune system entirely, which involves months of grueling recovery but can result in a cure. His sisters were not a match. Instead, a donor was located overseas. Because of scheduling delays, Jack had to wait several months.

In the meantime, he underwent two more treatment cycles to keep the cancer at bay. The second course, unlike the first, hit hard. He was hospitalized for 3 weeks with severe side effects, including cardiac complications, gout, and blood in his urine. His resolve never wavered. “The second cycle knocked me down. But I knew I had to get to the transplant,” Jack said.

On October 23, 2023, Jack received his stem cell transplant. Jack credits his stem cell oncologist, Dr. Miriam Nawas, whose expertise and compassionate care guided him through a successful transplant. It came in the form of eight bags of donated cells, what he jokingly called “applesauce.” His immune system was wiped out, requiring platelet transfusions and constant monitoring. Though he experienced graft- versus-host disease, it appeared only as a treatable rash. A bigger challenge came later—nutritional malabsorption, which caused him to lose 50 pounds and significant muscle mass. But even then, he tried to keep up with his walking as much as he could.

Throughout treatment, Jack maintained fierce intellectual curiosity. He asked detailed questions, challenged assumptions, and became a model of engaged patienthood. “They had to keep up with me,” he said of his care team, “and they did. They earned my trust. I am a control freak. But I knew I had to trust the experts—and they saved my life.”

By early 2024, Jack was in excellent shape. His leukemia remained in remission. He had regained nearly all his lost strength and was back to walking daily. He now receives maintenance chemotherapy, a reduced dose of venetoclax taken orally for 14 days each month.

Jack’s story is personal, but also generational. His father, too, was saved by cancer research. Diagnosed decades earlier with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), his father received imatinib, one of the earliest targeted therapies ever developed. It turned a once-fatal disease into a manageable condition. His dad lived for 15 additional years. “Cancer research saved my father’s life. Now it has saved mine,” said Jack.

The parallels between father and son underscore Jack’s call to action. “This is a complex disease,” he said. “But every day, researchers are chipping away at it. And we are living proof that their work matters.”

To Congress and the public, Jack is blunt. “If we cut cancer research funding, people will die needlessly,” he said. “These breakthroughs do not happen by accident; they take time, science, and support. I want everyone to have the chance I got.”

Today, Jack’s life has largely returned to normal, though he is still rebuilding his golf game. “I lost two clubs of distance,” he joked—but otherwise he feels like himself. He continues his monthly blood tests “I feel terrific. Like I did before I had cancer. Maybe even better—because now, I know how lucky I am.”

Cancer research saved my father’s life. Now it has saved mine.