The 24th Surgery’s The Deepest: A Post For Our Friend, Lyon Herron

There’s one word nobody wants to hear.

It’s the only acceptable word to put “fuck” in front of on a bumper sticker.

That word is “cancer”.

Our dear friend, photographer, and Malibu heartthrob’s (seriously, he’s gorgeous; beautiful girls fall before his sensitive, tattooed and sober feet) tumors have doubled in size over the past six months. 

The regrowth of these tumors, for the past 11 years of Lyon’s life, have been a very real possibility. He’s been fighting cancer since age four. And, in that time, has had 23 surgeries. Lyon has Gardner’s Syndrome, which causes Desmoid Tumors that take over areas of your body and wrap around organs, possibly shutting them down. Right now, his only option is a potentially life-threatening operation. 

Black, white, grey and unoffensive.

Photography

Lyon Herron

Around coastal Los Angeles, people know Lyon; I’ve never heard an ill word about him. He spent some time working in our shared office space in Los Angeles as the staff photographer for our friend, Dooma Fahrenfort’s General Admission clothing line and shop. In that time we became friends.

He’s one of those people who is interested, in you, what you’re saying, what makes you tick, and how to connect on a deeper level. We’d steal him for our shoots because he’s handy behind a lens, has a penchant for keeping the “talent” comfortable and is a pleasure to hang with. He shot the portraits of Francisco Porcella Is A Handsome Motherfucker in the office and went up to the Red Bull training facility to shoot Mark Mathews during his rehab amongst other things – if you follow us, you’ve, at the very least, have seen his name beside some gorgeous imagery.

When we decided we were going to try and infiltrate Kelly Slater’s Wave Pool Event, now known as the Future Classic. He was the first number I dialed.

“Lyon, what are you doing this afternoon?” I asked. He was working. I told him to get out of it. And after moving around a few things, and a phone call to Dooma declaring the necessity of Lyon documenting our journey around Lemoore, he was on board.

“Am I shooting from water or land?” he asked adorably. “Like, should I bring my housing?”

I broke it to him that we weren’t actually invited. That we were trying to cover what we could at the Casino, outside the event, et al.

“Okay, cool, so should I bring my board?”

“Yes,” I told him. Because, we – being Lyon, Michael Ciaramella and I –all packed boards on the off chance Mr Slater would let us into his pool party. Two hours later, we were on the road. 

We spent the next three days driving from LA to Lemoore and back. We laughed; he shot everything; we devised half-baked plans to get into the event. We hired a cherry picker. We lost our money at the roulette table. We danced to the 80’s cover band outside of the Tachi Casino at the after party. And at 2:30 am, when Michael and I were piss-drunk, and the hotel I’d booked had canceled our reservation, he drove us to the only hotel/motel/idyllic scene for a murder so we could sleep side by side for the third night in a row in a full-size bed. Out of all the trips and assignments I’ve been on for Stab, those three days in Lemoore I hold dearest. Lyon was a big part of the success and sheer fun of that venture.

The dude’s a trooper.

He’s a sober kid that’ll stay out while you party ‘till early in the am. He’s a single-fin enthusiast that still loves a good thrust if the waves are right (a rare occurrence in LA). He occasionally speaks motivationally. And, for a gentleman who has spent the vast majority of his life fighting a rare disease, he’s managed to travel the world – shooting, surfing, and helping search for a cure from Europe to South America and beyond. I’m quite fond of the young man and being in the unique position to try and help his cause using the vessel that is Stabmagdotcommercial, it only seemed right to raise awareness to his current situation.

Right now, he’s headed to a clinic in Cleveland, Ohio to the same doctor who has operated on him before, removing similar sized tumors in 2007.

If you have the means and would like to donate to his Young and Brave Foundation fund, go for it.

We’re currently wishing him the best.

For a collection of beautiful imagery courtesy of Mr Herron, click here.