Navy veteran Matthew Roach rang the celebration bell at VA Amarillo’s Lubbock VA Clinic on July 8, signifying his official triumph over terminal stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer one year after being diagnosed.
Roach was the first veteran to ring the newly installed bell, which he donated to the facility months earlier in hopes of inspiring other veterans facing similar battles.
“Ringing the bell is a symbol of survival,” said Roach. “It’s a statement that says, ‘you made it through’. I hope this bell will give other veterans something to look forward to — a real sense of achievement.”…