FARMINGTON, N.Y. — It’s been a seven-year battle for John Santmyer. He was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma in 2017 and while he’s been fighting, his favorite team has helped him push through.

What started as a fatty cyst removal for Santmyer turned into a cancer diagnosis. He learned he had tumors in his brain and body. It’s been years of treatments and surgeries that will never cure his disease — seven years of immunotherapy, radiation, multiple craniotomies, chemotherapy, seizures and hospital visits.

He says his journey has been one with a lot of scary ups and downs. A few months ago he was barely able to speak, walk or move his body. Now, he’s doing better but still has trouble communicating and has frequent seizures, keeping him out of work. He says he’s a fighter and he does it for his wife and two kids — and to root on his favorite team.

“So they say that it’s a year to 15 months of survival, but there’s that’s not going to be what I need to focus on. I’m going to, I’m going to see my kids graduate and, you know, hopefully the Bills can win the Super Bowl, you know, But I, I don’t feel like I have a survival time,” Santmyer said.

His wife Erica says the diagnosis was totally unexpected.

“It’s not like he started with a little bit of cancer and it led up to metastatic — it was he had no cancer. And then all of a sudden one day,” she said.

Right now he’s in a good place, but it’s not always like that. There are times when he can’t speak and can only nod his head to communicate.

His wife works two jobs to support their two kids and his treatment. To help ease some of the financial strain, his friends started a GoFundMe campaign.

But they did something else: They reached out to a company called 26 Shirts that sells limited-edition Bills merchandise, with proceeds going to a specific campaign. Santmyer’s shirt is called Buffalo Vs. the World and captures his fight and passion for the team in one.

He says to be chosen for this is an honor.

“Its been tough, but I’m tough and I — just like I said, I don’t feel like my timeline is up, and it’s just amazing. It’s amazing and it’s a blessing,” he said.

His love for the Bills started in 1984 when he attended his first game and fell asleep under the bleachers. It has been a part of his life ever since.

“I had chosen the sport — it’s the Buffalo Bills; I just, you know, I live and die you know on Sunday,” Santmyer said.

The Buffalo Vs. the World is live for two weeks, and you can purchase one here to help John yourself.

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