Some days you feel you have it rough, life is stacked against you, and you just can’t deal. How do you get through it? Local veteran and cancer warrior John Daige says mindset and community are everything.
In a culture of “trigger warnings” and pop-culture self-proclamations of despair on Tik Tok, it can be hard to find helpful ways to cope with life’s challenges. From the top down, America has been conditioned to see vulnerability as either a weakness or a trend. We seem to have two choices when the going gets tough: Toughen up and keep it to ourselves or carefully construct a crying montage reel to garner courage (or sympathy). But neither of the choices gets us what we really need to endure difficult times: community and perspective.
Worcester County native Sgt. John Daige, familiarly called “JD,” has written a memoir that shows that mindset and community connection make a difference when fighting cancer, and in life. He is currently living with leukemia, has seen combat in Iraq, faced peril as a member of Worcester Police Department SWAT, and has a message for anyone struggling with anything, “You are stronger than you think.”
His pragmatic approach to life can be summed up in his own words, “It could always be worse.”
If this sounds trite, one hasn’t met JD, heard his story, seen his charitable work with Thin Blue Ride, or understood how he reconciles the difficult truths of living with cancer with joy, love and community connection.
No Warrior Fights Alone
November 11, 2025- Daige was on a leukemia “treatment break” when he recently launched his autobiographical book about the ins and outs of his cancer battle, Beyond Survival, What Comes After the Fight: Choosing to Thrive at Off The Rails in Worcester, MA. It may seem counterintuitive to throw a party on Veterans Day to celebrate the release of a book about cancer, but it was completely appropriate to Daige’s message that “no warrior fights alone”. This is the mission of his non-profit Thin Blue Ride, co-founded with WPD Officer Joe Quinn, which supports veterans, first responders and their families who are battling cancer with direct financial assistance and support. This message is representative of who Daige is: Someone who has built a community of strength and hope.
His book signing event brought together veterans and first-responders with their families and supporters in the spirit of camaraderie and celebration. This was a powerful and patriotic way to spend Veteran’s Day and honor not just the veterans in the room, but those who have succumbed to their battles, including the late Sgt. Jonn DuClau, who was Daige’s close brother in combat with whom he had two Iraq deployments. Daige said one of the most moving moments of the night was the surprise attendance of DuClau’s parents to show support for the book and for him.
Also in attendence were veterans from all over Massachusetts who served with Daige and DuClau. They came together and shared stories about their missions. Many of them said the hardest part of serving is not in the bullet riddled transport vehicles, but coming home and adjusting to the lack of a daily brotherhood. This opportunity to be together and support JD meant a lot to them on Veteran’s Day.
The setting was boldly patriotic and joyful, yet intimate, in that Daige mingled with the crowd, signing books and communing with friends, before hitting the stage to discuss his book. It was certainly a community affair. Daige’s wife Kelly ensured everything ran smoothly and gave a lovely speech. Daige’s good friends Officer “AC” Craveni and Tracey Craveni greeted guests and offered books and swag. The children colored and danced. His Uncle “Bin” played guitar classics on a stage lit up with large red, white and blue stars. The energy of so many veterans, WPD coworkers and their families breaking bread, toasting and celebrating another milestone (of many milestones) in Daige’s life journey on a patriotic day was palpable.
With the support of community, Daige keeps living fully and enjoying camaraderie even when the stakes are highest, like it’s his mission, and it is. Having purpose is a critical part of Daige’s resilience.
The Mission
A United States Army veteran and retired Worcester Police Officer, Daige is on his latest, and perhaps most important, mission: to spread cancer awareness and to support other first reponders and their families in combatting or living with cancer. His self-published book and his non-profit Thin Blue Ride are are not only cancer warrior efforts; they are his legacy. It is a testament to the world for evermore of the courage, tenacity, and life-spirit Daige, Kelly, and their children encompass and pay forward to the community.
Daige said he has never considered himself an author or public speaker, though he has spoken at a number of charity events including his own, as co-founder of Thin Blue Ride. The non-profit was named after the team name he created for the Pan Mass Challenge after beating testicular cancer (twice!) and riding with fellow WPD officers. All proceeds went to the research done by his treating physician. Perhaps speaking is a little less daunting than writing, which requres sitting down (but not cycling!) He opened his talk saying, “I hate computers and I hate writing,” getting some chuckles, “but over the years of battling cancer and sharing my story, it has helped people.” Another major reason for getting it all on paper is ensuring his children know his story, no matter what happens.
He said he committed to 1-3 hours a day writing and just “got it all down”, no easy feat for a non-writer, which shows his dedication to the mission of the book. he then t it was frustrating to contend with publishing house fees. It just so happened his good friends the Cravenis knew a ghost writer, “because that’s common to know a ghost writer,” he joked.
Dennis Vanasse, said it was easy to help Daige finish his book because he offered so many stories and details. They took the stage after the book signing and mingling had concluded to discuss the process of writing this memoir. Vanasse is the Director of Anna Maria College’s Student Success center, a podcaster, and has a large social media following of the same never give up spirit. He has the experience with self-publishing that helped Daige get his book in print quickly without the contractual obligations of major publishing houses. The Q&A between Daige and Vanasse flowed easily, much like a well-produced podcast, and the audience got a glimpse into the writing process as well as the relationship they built writing about such personal stories.
He said that sharing his story is always worth it because someone can benefit from his experience. Daige keeps a sense of humor and a level head when discussing the challenges of combat, SWAT training, early retirement and of course, cancer. He always has a mission, and he always sees it through, even if it’s uncomfortable.
Living with Uncertainty
When some of us might go out with a whimper or make a crying Tik Tok, Daige thrives in the face of a challenge. He approaches uncertainty practically and with a mind open to solutions. For JD, thriving includes all of his story: from literally preparing for and conquering Mount Everest to running a charity, from embracing fatherhood to being open to building and maintaining relationships despite (or because of) having cancer. He doesn’t refuse death nor does he invite it upon himself (although he has dropped into Tuckerman’s Ravine and avoided bullets!). He lives “in the now”. His book launch gave clues about how he retains a positive mental attitude: purpose, community.
Beyond Survival is, in some ways, a pocket guide to keeping a clear mission and purpose in the face of challenges. It is not directly a self-help book, but it holds important lessons. The book is largely about fighting cancer, with some excellent passages about other points in his life besides diagnoses. Daige shares details about Iraq and climbing Mount Everest, as well as how he proposed to his wife. The writing is relaxed and almost like a diary (with proper grammar and punctuation!) because of the amount of personal detail. The book outlines some of the complexities of cancer care and of public service careers and gives name to difficult emotions, such as frustration, deflation and sadness, that can be hard to express out loud.
Daige presents sound advice, such as being one’s own advocate, in a palatable way, almost like talking to one’s own brother. The writing is clear with no frills, with each story being delivered as if in a stream of consciousness and not in a timeline order. This narrative style is authentic to human memory. The writing also gives detail about cancer treatments, medical procedures and recovery that will be very helpful to those trying to understand the options. Strong messages throughout the book (and when Daige speaks) are how critical it is to have: a community of support, a positive mindset, and awareness of physical health.
Thriving is a Choice
Daige seems to have nine lives. He has been on dangerous ground in Iraq and WPD. He has had many surgeries and treatments and seen others suffer. He lost his combat best friend young. Growing up, he saw his mom battle cancer (and has a deep respect for her). JD seems to have the cards stacked against him, and yet he is thriving. Why?
Gratitude… Camaradarie… Accepting every single mission, including cancer.
Betsey Taft Kennedy, Managing Editor, What’s Up Worcester, [email protected]
About The Author
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