Texas man with terminal illness makes it his mission to volunteer

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A TEXAS MAN IS MAKING IT HIS MISSION TO GIVE BACK. HIS GOAL IS TO VOLUNTEER IN ALL 50 STATES. AND TODAY HE’S IN NEBRASKA. SPEAKING EXCLUSIVELY WITH KETV, NEWSWATCH SEVEN’S MARY REGLI WITH A MESSAGE THAT’S SURE TO INSPIRE. WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU ONLY HAD A FEW MONTHS LEFT TO LIVE? THAT’S A QUESTION DOUG ROOKE HAD TO ASK HIMSELF IN JANUARY. I WAS GIVEN THE NEWS THAT MY PROSTATE CANCER THAT I’VE BEEN BATTLING FOR FOUR AND A HALF YEARS HAD METASTASIZED, AND I WAS GIVEN 12 TO 18 MONTHS. ROOKE SAYS HE HAS A FEW REGRETS OF HOW HE SPENT HIS LIFE. I REALIZED I HADN’T DONE ENOUGH, ENOUGH VOLUNTEERING AND GIVING BACK. I’D ALWAYS BEEN, YOU KNOW, BUSY WORKING 60 HOURS A WEEK IN THE, YOU KNOW, IN THE SALES AND MARKETING FIELD. NOW HE’S MAKING A CHANGE WITH A FEW MONTHS HE HAS LEFT. HE’S EMBARKING ON A PERSONAL MISSION HE CALLS DYING TO SERVE, WHERE HIS GOAL IS TO VOLUNTEER IN ALL 50 STATES. I’M MY HEALTH IS HOLDING UP. I TRULY BELIEVE THAT. THAT THIS MISSION IS KEEPING ME THE HAPPY HORMONES I FEEL, ESPECIALLY ON VOLUNTEER DAYS, IS KEEPING ME GOING AND HOPEFULLY I CAN FINISH THIS. NEBRASKA IS NOW THE 18TH STATE ROOKE HAS VISITED. HE SPENT HIS TIME PACKING FOOD AT FOOD BANK FOR THE HEARTLAND. I THINK THAT’S PERFECT. ROOKE SAYS HIS MISSION HAS CHANGED THE WAY HE LOOKS AT LIFE. HE SAYS HE’S LEARNED TO JUDGE SOMEONE BY THEIR HEART AS HE MEETS PEOPLE WHO HAVE FALLEN ON HARD TIMES. AND THESE ORGANIZATIONS, LIKE FOOD BANK FOR THE HEARTLAND. THEIR SOLE PURPOSE IS TO HELP PEOPLE THAT NEED HELP. AND I JUST THINK THAT’S SO IMPORTANT. AND I DIDN’T REALIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF IT UNTIL I WAS GIVEN A TERMINAL DIAGNOSIS, WHICH I THINK MAKES THE STORY EVEN MORE BEAUTIFUL. HE HOPES HIS STORY CAN HELP PEOPLE RETHINK HOW THEY’RE LIVING THEIR OWN LIVES. TO LOVE YOUR FELLOW MAN AND WOMAN, VOLUNTEER. BE KIND. YOU KNOW. LIVE LIKE, LIVE LIKE YOU’RE DYING, EVEN IF YOU’RE NOT. BECAUSE IT’S AMAZING. IN OMAHA, MARY REGLI KETV NEWSWATCH SEVEN. INSPIRING. DOUG’S NEXT STEP IN HIS JOURNEY WILL BE KANSAS CITY. THEN HE’S GOING OVER TO CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA. YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG HIS JOURNEY BY VISITING. DYING TO SERVE.COM. YO

Texas man with terminal illness makes it his mission to volunteer

With just months to live, a Texas man is making it his mission to give back. His goal is to volunteer in all 50 states. He was in Nebraska on Friday with a message that's sure to inspire. What would you do if you only had a few months left to live? That's a question Doug Ruch had to ask himself in January. "I was given the news that my prostate cancer that I've been battling for four and a half years had metastasized, and I was given 12 to 18 months," Ruch said.Ruch said he has a few regrets about how he spent his life. "I realized I hadn't done enough volunteering and giving back. I'd always been busy working 60 hours a week in the sales and marketing field," Ruch said.Now, he's making a change, with the few months he has left. He embarked on a personal mission, which he calls Dying to Serve, where his goal is to volunteer in all 50 states. "My health is holding up. I truly believe that this mission is keeping me. The happy hormones I feel, especially on volunteer days, is keeping me going, and hopefully, I can finish this," Ruch said.Nebraska is now the 18th state Ruch has visited.He spent his time packing food at Food Bank for the Heartland. Ruch said his mission has changed the way he looks at life. He said he's learned to judge someone by their heart, as he meets people who have fallen on hard times."These organizations, like Food Bank for the Heartland, their sole purpose is to help people that need help. And I just think that's so important. And I didn't realize the importance of it until I was given a terminal diagnosis, which I think makes the story even more beautiful," Ruch said.He hopes his story can help people rethink how they're living their own lives. "Love your fellow man and woman. Volunteer. Be kind. ... Live like you're dying, even if you're not. Because it's amazing," Ruch said.Doug's next stop in his journey is Kansas City, then he's headed over to Cedar Rapids. NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |

OMAHA, Neb. —

With just months to live, a Texas man is making it his mission to give back.

His goal is to volunteer in all 50 states. He was in Nebraska on Friday with a message that's sure to inspire.

What would you do if you only had a few months left to live? That's a question Doug Ruch had to ask himself in January.

"I was given the news that my prostate cancer that I've been battling for four and a half years had metastasized, and I was given 12 to 18 months," Ruch said.

Ruch said he has a few regrets about how he spent his life.

"I realized I hadn't done enough volunteering and giving back. I'd always been busy working 60 hours a week in the sales and marketing field," Ruch said.

Now, he's making a change, with the few months he has left.

He embarked on a personal mission, which he calls Dying to Serve, where his goal is to volunteer in all 50 states.

"My health is holding up. I truly believe that this mission is keeping me. The happy hormones I feel, especially on volunteer days, is keeping me going, and hopefully, I can finish this," Ruch said.

Nebraska is now the 18th state Ruch has visited.

He spent his time packing food at Food Bank for the Heartland.

Ruch said his mission has changed the way he looks at life. He said he's learned to judge someone by their heart, as he meets people who have fallen on hard times.

"These organizations, like Food Bank for the Heartland, their sole purpose is to help people that need help. And I just think that's so important. And I didn't realize the importance of it until I was given a terminal diagnosis, which I think makes the story even more beautiful," Ruch said.

He hopes his story can help people rethink how they're living their own lives.

"Love your fellow man and woman. Volunteer. Be kind. ... Live like you're dying, even if you're not. Because it's amazing," Ruch said.

Doug's next stop in his journey is Kansas City, then he's headed over to Cedar Rapids.

Texas man with terminal illness makes it his mission to volunteer

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