Mason Fisher was an altruistic young man, even in the final moments of his life. He dedicated himself to the fight against cancer, a passion his friends and family will not soon forget.
Cancer first affected Mason early in his life. It took the lives of two good friends and caused another to lose his lower leg. It also affected his mother, who thankfully won her fight against the disease. Mason and his sister Maria were both diagnosed with Li-Fraumeni syndrome, a condition that greatly increases their risk of developing cancer.
Mason had been attending The Ohio State University’s College of Medicine. He hoped to be a surgeon and was involved in cancer research. Because he understood the devastation cancer causes, Mason enthusiastically participated in Pelotonia twice with Ohio State’s Spin Doctors, a team comprised of the university’s medical students.
On his third Pelotonia ride in 2022, Mason was about 100 miles into his 102-mile course when he suffered a medical emergency and passed away suddenly.
This news shocked his family, friends, peers and the community as a whole. He was 27 years old and is described as having a larger-than-life personality. It was unfathomable that he was suddenly gone. His cousin picked up his bike the next day and finished the course in his honor.
“Despite our family’s unusual circumstances, we all were so happy and felt so blessed to simply be alive and have a close family that had a lot of fun together,” Mary Beth Fisher, Mason’s mother, says. “Mason’s death is by far the most difficult thing we have struggled to work through. We are still working on finding the right coping mechanisms. Because of our faith, we truly believe he is happy and he is home.”
Buckeyes for Mason
This past August, Mason’s friends and family, along with his former Pelotonia team, honored him by raising money and participating in the ride. A custom sleeve commemorating him was
made and sold before the race. The team raised over $100,000 this year alone.
Mark Fisher, Mason’s father, is a graduate of Grove City High School. Many of his longtime friends from the community came out to ride.
“People you haven’t seen in a long time or keep in touch with all that much, maybe once or twice a year, to have them step up and ride with me for Mason and try to carry on Mason’s passion that he had going, it was really, really touching,” Mark says.
Because of Mason’s immense love for the Ohio State Buckeyes, the nut has become synonymous with his spirit, and his friends and family, take a buckeye wherever they go.
At the site of Mason’s death, the owner of the land the Pelotonia course passed through planted a buckeye tree. He had never met Mason but happened to choose the perfect tree to dedicate to him.
His family still thinks of him when they hear the “Buckeye Battle Cry” or “Carmen Ohio.”
“Being a Buckeye fan made him very happy. He had one of the first ‘Ohio against the world’ sweatshirts that I had ever seen,” Mary Beth says. “He was so proud to be attending medical school at OSU. We expected him to complain about medical school and the demands placed on him. He never once complained. Instead, he loved it.”
Night of Impact
Just how much money did Pelotonia raise this year for cancer research?
As per tradition, the grand total of charitable funds raised in 2023 is announced during Pelotonia’s Night of Impact, held in early November.
Last year, a check for over $258 million was presented to Ohio State’s Comprehensive Cancer Center.
These funds have been used for research in immunotherapy treatments, targeted therapy for aggressive brain tumors, and more. Since Pelotonia’s inception, these donations have helped to fund hundreds of research projects as we all work together to fight cancer.
Warmhearted in a White Coat
With his infectious positive attitude and genuine love for people, those working with Mason say he was on track to be an amazing doctor, a profession he had dreamed of having since he was a child.
Mary Beth says one doctor he worked under was saving a position at his practice for Mason to fill after graduation.
“This doctor indicated that some of his patients would reschedule their appointments if they knew Mason would not be at the office that day,” she says.
Even outside of his medical pursuits, Mason was dedicated to helping those in need. When his friend Sam was diagnosed with cancer, he was there to lift his spirits.
“(Sam’s) father wrote me a kind letter telling me about a difficult day when Sam was waiting for chemo at the James Cancer Hospital and was feeling down,” Mary Beth says. “He said that Mason appeared unexpectedly, and the whole mood changed. He said angels come in all forms and Mason was their angel. I think Mason has been the unexpected angel to many people, while alive and now after death.”
A Taste for Life
Mary Beth says another passion of her son’s was cooking, and just like everything else Mason did in life, it was a labor of love.
He would cook for his family and friends, often trying new recipes from his collection of cookbooks. The year before his death, he made his family Thanksgiving dinner and he would always make beef Wellington for Christmas.
His family remembers fondly the tastes of his Cuban sandwiches and his slow-cooked pork shoulder. They still have the book Mason made listing the best pizza places in Columbus.
“One of his coworkers was getting married and for her wedding, Mason volunteered to prepare a portion of the food, cilantro lime rice, for the wedding dinner for all of the guests,” Mary Beth says. “He did it and it turned out great.”
Mason spent a lot of time laughing and enjoying activities with his family, these “Mason Moments” as his family lovingly calls them, will live on in their hearts forever and the lessons his life taught about being kind, humorous and showing up for others, are eternal.
Maisie Fitzmaurice is an assistant editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at mfitzmaurice@cityscenemediagroup.com.
