Mercy Isn’t Weakness: A Survivor’s Final Demand for Recognition and Rest

Longtermsurvivor 1

Mercy Isn’t Weakness: A Survivor’s Final Demand for Recognition and Rest

Hello CSN community,

My name is Joseph Perusic. I’m a 60-year survivor of Wilms Tumor, and I’ve spent decades living with the long-term consequences of treatments that were never meant to be tracked this far. I’ve endured strokes, vascular deterioration, chronic kidney disease, and more—but the hardest part hasn’t been the medical journey. It’s been the silence.

I’m not here to start another group. I’m here to fix what I’ve already seen. I’ve offered my body as a petri dish. I’ve paid for mistakes I didn’t make. And I’ve watched too many survivors give their lives to science and get handed the bill.

This isn’t burnout. It’s survivor saturation. And I’m asking for something simple: mercy and quality of life.

I’ve built a project called Survivor One—a living archive of survivor tools, reflections, and systemic critiques. If you’ve ever felt dismissed, unheard, or reduced to a diagnosis, I want you to know: You’re not alone. And your voltage matters.

Let’s talk. Let’s share. Let’s make sure no one else has to carry this alone.

—Joseph