Fundraiser started for veteran's funeral

SANDUSKY — A fundraising campaign seeks to raise both money and awareness after a local veteran recently passed away after a battle with cancer. Jeremiah Cruz Calderon, 47, of Sandusky, passed away on Monday. Calderon was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and a 1996 graduate of Bellevue High School, according to his obituary. He was injured two different times during his military service, which resulted in a traumatic brain injury. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Calderon was diagnosed with an aggressive form of testicular cancer, according to his friend, Ronda Carpenter. The cancer had spread throughout his entire body including his brains, lungs, liver and kidney. "Jeremiah did what he does best and prepared for the fight of his life," Carpenter said. Calderon was put through several chemotherapy treatments, surgeries and radiation, but the cancer was still growing. He was given four to six months to live and was informed hospice was the next step, she said. Julie Calderon, his wife, missed a lot of work throughout the two-and-a-half years her husband was sick. His loved ones set up a fundraiser page to ensure Jeremiah has a proper burial and to spread awareness about testicular cancer. Carpenter said there's a stigma surrounding men's screening for testicular cancer and that men should be aware and get checked. "This is something that more men need to talk about with their physicians and health care professionals with no shame or embarrassment," she said. "And men of all ages need to know that this is something that could happen to them." Want to donate? People can find the fundraiser on givesendgo.com by searching for "Miracles for Air Force Vet Jeremiah." As of late Friday, the campaign had raised about $1,000 of its $20,000 goal.