Lexi the Great Dane, Javier, Georgia Jean and Cate. Photo by Erika Hagen Photography.
Life finally seemed back to normal for Javier Corradini last March. The popular coach of the eventing team at Columbia Horse Center in Maryland was back to riding and teaching full-time after beating testicular cancer three years earlier, and he was about to welcome his first child, a daughter named Georgia Jean, with his wife, Cate.
Then he felt a lump in his neck. A CT scan at John’s Hopkins revealed enlarged lymph nodes in his neck, pelvis and abdomen, and a biopsy of the tumor in his neck confirmed their worst fears. Javier was diagnosed with stage 3A testicular cancer at age 35.
The news rocked the Columbia Horse Center barn family and surrounding community, where Javier has been a much-loved teacher and trainer for the last 15 years since moving from his native Argentina at age 18. And this second battle with cancer has rallied a widespread group — from Boston to Buenos Aires, as one friend put it — to offer their support.
A student competes under Javier’s watchful eye. Photo by Erika Hagen Photography.
‘A compassionate rider’
Javier started riding at age 7 in Argentina and began competing in eventing soon after. He evented through his childhood and into his teen years, later graduating from Escuela Militar de Equitación, Argentina’s military riding school in Buenos Aires. After moving to Maryland, he quickly earned a reputation as an excellent horseman and highly respected trainer.
He first started teaching lessons and training horses at a farm in Silver Spring after moving to the U.S., which is how he met Cate. He didn’t speak any English at the time, but a friendship and, years later, a romance blossomed. They were married on March 28, 2008, two years before Javier’s first testicular cancer diagnosis.
“He is an amazing horseman and an incredible rider,” Cate said. “He’s my husband, and I’m sure any wife would say that, but he really is. He’s a compassionate rider and a gifted instructor, and it’s rare to find the two together. Sometimes you have people who ride well but aren’t good teachers or vice versa. But Javier has always been able to do both.”
Javier walking a cross country course with a student. Photo by Erika Hagen Photography.
A new battle with cancer
Javier underwent chemotherapy between April and June last year, which successfully shrank the tumors in his pelvis and abdomen; but the tumor in his neck stubbornly refused to cooperate. Surgeons at John’s Hopkins removed 52 of his lymph nodes last August, but his AFP levels, which show tumor markers in the blood, continued to test very high.
His case was referred to Indiana University last fall, and doctors opted to perform a bilateral retroparitoneal lymph node dissection. Surgeons removed every affected and surrounding lymph node from his sternum to his pelvis. But, once again, his AFP levels started to rise. A CT scan in January of this year showed a new mass on his pancreas.
Javier’s case has now been transferred to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Canter Center in New York City, where he is currently undergoing three rounds of high dose chemotherapy in preparation to receive a bone marrow transfusion.
It will be months before he can permanently return home to Maryland to be with Cate, who is continuing to work at her IT job to keep up a source of income for the family, and Georgia Jean, whose 1st birthday is rapidly approaching.
Javier and Georgia Jean. Photo by Erika Hagen Photography.
Weathering the storm
“He hasn’t been able to work for the past year,” Cate said. “Now with this treatment in New York, it could be July before he comes home and awhile before he gets back up on his feet again and is able to start teaching and riding.”
If there’s one thing at which the horse community truly excels, it’s rallying support when one of our own needs help. And the way in which Javier’s students, clients and friends have rallied around this young family is truly inspirational.
A GoFundMe account has raised nearly $17,000 in the last month, quickly exceeding its original goal of $8,000. The messages accompanying the donations show just how much he means to his students:
“You got me riding again, and I’ll never forget it! Bon courage, Javier!”
“Thank you for all of the knowledge and love you gave me and the rest of us barn rats over the years.”
“Kick cancer’s butt, Javier!”
Friends have stepped in to babysit Georgia Jean; dogsit Lexi, their Great Dane; help with laundry; cook meals; and deliver supplies to Javier in New York, where he’ll be spending most of his time this winter and spring during his treatments.
Javier’s students wear their #HorseshoesForJavier bracelets.
#HorseshoesForJavier
Certainly the most visible show of support for Javier has been a social media campaign called #HorseshoesForJavier, which has raised nearly $700 for the family since it launched earlier this month.
Students and friends are purchasing a horseshoe bracelet from Stella & Dot and posting photos and encouraging messages for the family in the Horseshoes for Javier Facebook group, with has 375 members and counting, using the hashtag #HorseshoesForJavier.
Scrolling through the messages and photos once again shows just how much Javier means to his students and the horse community in Maryland and beyond:
“Thank you to the most amazing instructor I have ever had. Starting to ride with Javier took me from riding horses to being a rider.”
“Over the years, I learned so much about what it means to be a good rider and how to communicate with a horse.”
“Javier not only taught me how to be a good rider, but also a great horsewoman and person.”
Javier in his element. Photo by Erika Hagen Photography.
How you can help
Now it’s our turn to help one of our own, EN. If you’d like to help Javier, Cate and Georgia Jean during this second battle with cancer, you can donate directly to the family at their GoFundMe account at this link or using the widget below.
You can also buy a horseshoe bracelet from Stella & Dot at this link. Through the end of March, 25 percent of the sales proceeds go directly to helping the family; a horseshoe charm is also part of the fundraiser at this link.
Then join the Horseshoes for Javier Facebook group and post a photo of yourself wearing the bracelet using the #HorseshoesForJavier hashtag.
Together, we can show Javier and Cate that they are far from alone as they weather this storm.
We will continue to bring you updates on Javier’s battle with testicular cancer, and you can also follow his Caring Bridge site at this link, where Cate is blogging regularly with updates.
