Local benefit raises $43k for Gainesville woman with cancer
Jamie Wyman
Nearly $43,000 was raised at a benefit auction and chili supper last Saturday, March 21, to benefit Thornfield resident Jamie Wyman, former owner of J’s Grill, who is currently undergoing treatment for esophageal cancer.
The local community showed up in a big way for the benefit auction and chili supper for Jamie Wyman, beloved owner of the J’s Grill food truck. By the end of Saturday night, nearly $43,000 raised.
“I was so overwhelmed by the outpouring of support,” Wyman said after the event. “Small town USA may not have as much to offer as the big cities, but we are definitely not lacking in love.”
The benefit was raised for Wyman after she was diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer earlier this year. Doctors found the disease after they discovered a tumor that was blocking nearly two-third of her esophagus. Tests later showed that the cancer may have spread to her lungs, though one test came back negative, offering hope that it may be stage 3 and operable.
Unfortunately, this isn’t Jamie’s first run in with cancer. She was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006, and she underwent a mastectomy. After treatment, she continued living and working in the community.
However, in September 2024, after nearly 20 years cancer-free, her doctor shared the devastating news that her breast cancer had returned. She underwent a lumpectomy. After a short recovery period, she returned to her duties at J’s Grill food truck.
Then, in January 2026, she was diagnosed with the esophageal cancer. Jamie made the difficult decision to close J’s Grill and sell the business as she faced a new regimen of treatment. Since then, Jamie has undergone numerous tests, scopes, scans and biopsies. She recently completed 28 radiation treatments, which required her to travel to Springfield daily. She is now undergoing chemotherapy every two weeks. Each treatment includes a three-hour session at the hospital. She then goes home with a pump that continues administering chemotherapy throughout the week until the pump is removed by the weekend.
She is expected to finish her current treatment plan by April 15. She will then be scanned again to determine how effective the treatment has been.
Although there is a lot of uncertainty in her future, Jamie says she’s standing strong thanks to the community that has had her back the whole way.
“Keith and I are eternally grateful for all the prayers that we have received and continue to receive. We have a long journey ahead of us but we truly believe ‘God’s got this.’”