| Graduation Year | Class of 2003 |
| Date of Passing | Apr 26, 2021 |
| About | We said good-bye to John on Monday, April 26, 2021. He was 36 years of age as of February 20th. John suffered from an ultra-rare and fatal neurological disease called Niemann-Pick type C which eventually caused difficulty swallowing and then choking. John was diagnosed at age 29 with mild symptoms. We were told there was no treatment, no cure, and to go home and make memories. That October in 2014, John and his mom took a bold step and signed up for one of Wooddale's annual mission trips. The mission is to build houses in villages around Lake Atitlan, nestled in the mountains of Guatemala. It was the trip of a life time for him! John was excited about maybe learning Spanish while there, but all he really took away with him was "mas cemento" (more cement). John would lift a pailful of cement up to the outreached arms of the mason on the scaffolding saying mas cemento. The phrase soon became shared humor between his mom and him. Fall 2015, we learned of an investigative drug treatment for NPC being administered in Chicago at Rush University Medical Center. A clinical trial was enrolling. John was too old for the trial, but was able to start the program under Compassionate Use in February 2016. The hope was it would slow progression of the disease. The next three and a half years John traveled with his mom or dad to Chicago every other week. We started to have good times in Chicago. We met other NPC families coming for treatment and we eventually grew into a village. John was a delightful young man with a smile that lit up your life. His eyes sparkled, and he laughed easily. He was a strong, kind, caring, generous, gentle person with a heart of gold. John tried hard at everything he did in life, and fought his disease with an attitude of "I'll cross whatever bridge I have to". John has crossed his final bridge leaving behind his mother, Linda Dundas; father, John F. Porter; brother, Jordan; Jordan's wife, Purnima; aunts, uncles, and cousins. John was honored by ICU and medical staff of Methodist Hospital, St Louis Park, MN Thursday with the first time ever there, "Walk of Honor, a hero's good-bye", for his beyond generous gifts of organs and tissue. He saved three lives and is helping heal numerous others. |
