Proton Pals 

Cancer changes lives in an instant. The questions are not only “Will I survive?” but also “Can I afford it?” and “Who will walk this road with me?” Jeff Murray now dedicates his life to helping others on a path he knows all too well. 

“I can tell you where I was, what parking space I was in the day I received my diagnosis,” said Murray, executive director of Proton Pals Foundation. “There are so many fears: financial worries, fears for your outcome and your health.” 

Murray was diagnosed with prostate cancer at age 45 and underwent 44 proton radiation treatments at the Oklahoma Proton Center, completing his final treatment on January 11, 2011, as patient number 290. This fall, the center is expected to celebrate its 7,000th patient. 

Nearly a decade later, he and a group of fellow survivors came together with a simple question: How can we make the journey easier for the next patient? 

The answer became Proton Pals Foundation, a nonprofit founded by former patients to support individuals and families undergoing proton therapy in Oklahoma. Many board members have experienced cancer firsthand. 

“I was looking for a place to serve that was near and dear to my heart,” said Keri Aguilar, board chair of Proton Pals Foundation. “As a breast cancer survivor, this mission is very literally near and dear to my heart. In my six years, the best part of our mission by far is getting to walk alongside people and meet them where they are on their journey. We can always find a way to help.” 

As Murray puts it, Proton Pals aims to become a secondary family so that patients can focus on what matters most: getting healthy. 

The organization helps ease the financial burden of treatment by providing gas cards, meal vouchers, hotel stays, utility assistance, and other support, allowing patients to focus on healing rather than expenses. 

One patient who lived more than two hours from the treatment center said gas cards ensured they never missed an appointment. Another received a restaurant gift card on the first day of treatment. “It may seem like a small gesture, but to me, it was everything,” the patient shared. 

Murray hears similar stories every day. He recalls a 72-year-old wheat farmer from Altus who drove nearly three hours each way for treatment before returning home to work until evening. During the pandemic, another patient’s car broke down, forcing him to rent a U-Haul. Proton Pals stepped in with Uber gift cards so he could continue receiving treatment without the added expense. 

Some of Murray’s most meaningful moments come after treatment ends. This spring, the foundation awarded a $2,500 scholarship to one of the Oklahoma Proton Center’s earliest pediatric patients, who recently graduated from high school after overcoming a brain tumor diagnosed at age 2. 

“Survivorship is such a huge thing,” Murray said. “It may be a family you never planned to join, but you form friendships you never want to leave.” 

His own experience reinforced another lesson he hopes others won’t ignore: early detection saves lives. Just weeks after his diagnosis, his wife at the time was also diagnosed with cancer after both kept up with their routine annual physicals. Because their cancers were caught early, they were able to begin treatment quickly. 

“Cancer is life-changing, but it’s not life-defining,” he said. “The people we serve are dedicated to getting healed. We’re dedicated to helping them do that with less stress along the way.” 

To learn more, support Proton Pals Foundation, or purchase tickets to An Evening of Hope on Thursday, September 24, visit protonpalsfoundation.org.