Donati receives surprise send-off

A surprise send-off celebration for Iron River native Joe Donati was recently held in Iron River. Donati, who now lives in Traverse City, was on his way to Mayo Clinic for further cancer treatments. Donati was first diagnosed with B-Cell Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in September 2020. He underwent six rounds of aggressive chemotherapy and the treatment was successful. However, the day he was notified that his original cancer was gone, Donati had an MRI on his brain, which revealed four tumors. After successful brain surgery, Donati was on his way to Mayo to “formulate a new plan to beat this once and for all,” his sister Samantha said. Samantha said her brother and his family were touched by the local community’s thoughtfulness and support. “The love he has encountered from his hometown is inexplainable!” Samantha said. “The surprise send-off was the extra burst of positivity and love Joe needed before he starts this next round of his cancer battle. We cannot thank you all enough – from our family, friends, coworkers, law enforcement, etc. Iron River, you are AMAZING!”