Darrell

There are moments in life when the world fractures—quietly at first, then all at once. For Darrell, that moment arrived beneath the cold glow of fluorescent lights when he heard the words no one is ever prepared to face: testicular cancer. In an instant, time stilled. He was building a life rooted in artistry, purpose, and service, yet suddenly found himself confronting a reality where everything felt achingly fragile.

But even shattered glass can catch the light.

Darrell's diagnosis propelled him into a battle that demanded every ounce of strength, vulnerability, and perseverance he carried within him. There were days when his voice—the very instrument that had guided him through years of musical theatre—wavered, but it never vanished. Nights when fear felt heavy, yet hope refused to let go. Through treatment, he learned that courage is not the absence of trembling—it is the act of rising despite it.

Supported by family, friends, and a community who held him with unwavering compassion, Darrell fought his way through the darkest chapters of his life. Step by step, breath by breath, scar by scar, he reached the day when he finally heard a new phrase: cancer-free. The world opened again with a softness that felt almost holy.

But remission was not a closing chapter. It was the spark of something greater.

As a performer, Darrell had long believed in the transformative power of theatre—its ability to heal, uplift, and give voice to the unsaid. As a survivor, he discovered the profound need for a space where creativity and healing could intertwine for others walking their own cancer journeys, especially within the theatre and LGBTQIA+ communities.

From that revelation, Cues for Cancer was born.

This nonprofit is more than an organization—it is a sanctuary and a commitment. A commitment that no one should walk through their diagnosis alone. A commitment that expression can be a lifeline. A commitment to shining a spotlight on the strength, vulnerability, and humanity of those affected by cancer.

Darrell's story is one of diagnosis, battle, and rebirth. Through Cues for Cancer, he offers a testament to what he learned in his darkest hours: life's fractures do not diminish us—they refract us into something new, something luminous, something capable of lighting the way for others.