FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WTVF) — It was at one of those donation drives by the team with Blood Assurance where I met Alex and Samantha Enochs. Samantha Enochs was about to give blood.
Now, with the story of this couple, we have to start here; Royal Caribbean cruises. They love Royal Caribbean cruises.
"We actually met on a cruise ship," Samantha Enochs smiled. "Got engaged on a cruise ship, got married on a cruise ship."
Samantha Enochs will tell you there's no one she'd rather take the journeys with than her husband.
"This little guy is my little squishy," she said, holding up a little plastic fireman as she gave blood. "He is a fireman, just like this guy over here."
She pointed at her husband.
"I'm with the Franklin Fire Department," engineer-paramedic Alex Enochs said. "I've been with them for 19 years, in my 20th year now. It's just a great feeling to help people."
In the past few months, Alex and Samantha Enochs have been on a very different kind of journey.
"June 2nd is when I officially found out," Alex Enochs said. "I've got Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. I did have a mass, eight inches by five inches by two inches deep in my stomach."
He's being treated right now through Tennessee Oncology.
"It's still very fresh," said Samantha Enochs. "He's midway through his chemo treatments. It's session number four."
"I've always said, 'I've got my faith in God,'" Alex Enochs continued. "He's in charge. He's going to get me through this."
You may have heard Blood Assurance does these Battle of the Badges events. Different first responder groups give blood and get added to a tally. It's a competition. A Battle of the Badges event on Monday was held at the Williamson County Ag Expo Center and Williamson Medical Center. It was in honor of Alex Enochs.
"Seeing that face on the poster when he was probably at his lowest weight and felt the worst, I can't even think of the word," Samantha Enochs said. "Luckily, he's not needed any blood products, but I'm sure there will be others in the community who will."
"While I was at my treatment today, I saw three people receiving blood products," said Alex Enochs. "Patients going through cancer, they need blood products just as much as the next trauma patient. It's a great feeling to see people coming out and donating."
It goes back to his motivation to be a firefighter. What was that he said?
"It's just a great feeling to help people."
With 200 donors, Williamson EMS won with 85. Franklin Fire Department came in second with 76.
"I love that everyone loves him the way I do," said Samantha Enochs. "It was very touching they wanted to support him in any way that they could."
Do you have a positive, good news story? You can email me at forrest.sanders@newschannel5.com.
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- Carrie Sharp
