GILBERT, AZ — A Navy veteran who partially credits ice cream with helping him survive testicular cancer is now spreading joy to the medical team that saved his life.
Evan Skarbek and his wife, Holly Meyers, both cancer survivors, opened Stella's Ice Cream and spent Thursday giving out free scoops to caretakers at Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center in Gilbert.
"I like putting smiles on faces. This is a perfect business where when people come in, they can be in a good mood, bad mood, they're going to walk out with a smile on their face," Skarbek said.
During his battle with testicular cancer, Skarbek underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatment. As he lost his hair and appetite, ice cream became an unexpected ally in his recovery.
"Salted caramel, not up for discussion, salted caramel," Skarbek said about his favorite flavor.
His oncologist, Dr. Alex Bowman, confirmed that ice cream played a legitimate role in Skarbek's treatment plan.
"We'll often have people eat foods that are not traditionally healthy, ice cream is one way to do that," Bowman said.
The high-calorie treat helped Skarbek maintain his weight during treatment, giving him the strength to fight the disease. Thanks to his Banner MD Anderson caretakers, Skarbek is now in remission and hopes to be fully cured within the next couple of years.
But the couple's joy doubled when they received unexpected news. Doctors had told Skarbek it was unlikely he would be able to start a family after his cancer treatment. However, the couple recently discovered they are expecting their first child.
"Oh, look at me, I couldn't be more thrilled, right? I didn't know this was in the deck of cards, so I couldn't be happier," Skarbek said.
The ice cream shop owners say they plan to continue giving back to the medical community that helped save their lives, one scoop at a time.
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