After multiple near-death experiences, Kurt Gorman has a new lease on life and he’s finding ways to show his appreciation.

Now a New Iberia resident, Gorman met his wife, Caroline, who was born and raised near New Orleans.

The two moved to the Teche Area so she could be closer to her boys and her work, and settled in New Iberia.

Looking for a way to give back and also looking for something to do, Gorman, a Philadelphia native, started cleaning out the bayou near their new home down La. 14.

Gorman, 69, said he wanted to give back the best way he can. As a nature lover, cleaning up the bayou was the best of both worlds.

“I want to give back,” Gorman said. “And it’s good for the environment.”

His wife gave him a canoe a few years back, and with the pandemic and many hours of time on his hands, Gorman knew his days would be busy.

While rowing down the bayou over the course of the last few weeks, Gorman has collected trash cans full to the brim with different objects found in the muddy waters.

From shoes to countless bottles and even a propane tank, Gorman has kept himself busy and he loves every time he is on the water, breathing in the fresh air.

“That’s why I do it,” Gorman said. “I love nature and being outside.”

And being busy is something he wouldn’t have any other way, after being diagnosed with head and neck cancer in 2011 when his then-girlfriend Caroline found something on his neck.

“She felt something on my neck,” Gorman said.

In a matter of weeks, Gorman was diagnosed with throat cancer as was given a 5 percent chance of survival.

“I call it ‘C’ because it’s a dirty word to me,” Gorman said.

Always a fighter, Gorman was ready to do whatever he needed to do to survive his bout with cancer.

“(Tell) me what I have to do,” Gorman said. “Carlone fattened me up. I went from 195 to 203 pounds.”

Growing up on the same streets that Rocky Balboa ran in the movies, Gorman wasn’t afraid to face the cancer head-on.

“I’m a fighter,” Gorman said. “I’m 60 years old, I’m from Philly, and I said, ‘Ok, what do we have to do.’”

Gorman was asked how much he smoked by his doctor Sarah Rodie, as it can greatly affect the chances of survival for him. He said he’s never smoked a day in his life. Gorman credits and thanks Rodie for everything she did during that time.

“She said, ‘Kurt, your chances just went from 95-5 to 50-50,’” Gorman said.

Gorman said he slammed his hand on the table in the doctor’s office because it was something he would work with. Three different forms of chemo and five years later, Gorman was cancer-free and ready for the next chapter of his life.

The next chapter of his life was with Caroline here in New Iberia where he saw his next fight.

It was February of this year where Gorman suffered a stroke in his home.

“They said I was too hydrated and drank too much water,” Gorman said.

While he was at his home, he was reaching for a gallon of milk and the stroke hit him on his right side.

“It was like club foot,” Gorman said.

Gorman suffered a Transient ischemic attack, or TIA, which is a brief stroke-like attack that, despite resolving within minutes to hours, still requires immediate medical attention to distinguish from an actual stroke.

“You have 36 hours to get to the doctor,” Gorman said.

He was eventually able to recover in a few weeks and he was back to help with cleaning his community.

And though he doesn’t mind doing his part to clean the environment, Gorman does warn for others to be aware of what they are throwing in the bayou.

“We weary of that kind of stuff,” Gorman said. “And remember the plastic and other things you throw away can damage the environment.”

At the end of the day, Gorman is happy to be alive and wants to show everyone, even himself, that he is appreciative of having more time on the planet.

“I’m not doing it for money,” Gorman said. “I’m not looking for any notoriety. I’m just looking to give back.”