Documentary shares incredible journey of a cancer survivor

Wednesday, October 4, 2017
Documentary shares incredible journey of a cancer survivor
Documentary shares incredible journey of a cancer survivor. Registered Nurse Ali Gorman reports during Action News at 5 p.m. on October 4, 2017.

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Sean Swarner has just completed a feat no other two-time cancer survivor has done.

He has only one functioning lung. And he's completed what's called the Explorers Grand Slam. That's climbing the highest mountain on each continent, and trekking to the South and the North Pole.

A new documentary True North: The Sean Swarner story takes you along his incredible journey.

On a visit to Action News, he told us his goal is to inspire others.

"The human body can live 30 days without food. The body can sustain itself about three days without water, but no human alive can live for30 seconds without hope because without hope you have nothing, as soon as you lose hope you have nothing left."

Swarner knows this first hand. At age 13 he battled Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

Three years later, he faced another aggressive cancer- Askin's Sarcoma.

"The second time they gave me 14 days to live," Swarner said.

But with intensive treatment he survived.

Fifteen years ago he climbed Mount Everest - Using the highest platform in the world to inspire others to keep climbing.

And 6 summits later, True North shows the culmination of his adventures - Reaching the North Pole.

"I am extremely proud of this project and I am extremely proud of what it's going to do for other people," Director Tom Caamano said.

Caamano and Executive Producer Tom Farrell say it's a once in a lifetime story, and while it focuses on people and families fighting cancer, the message is for everyone.

"Because we all struggle with something in life, everyone you encounter throughout the day has something they're dealing with. And this documentary helps inspire people and gives them reason to believe they can get over whatever it is, the challenge they're presented with right now," Farrell said.

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