Amanda Pevey
Elmore Autauga News
For Thomas and Jodie “JoJo” Fritz, retirement was supposed to come later.
They had talked about buying an RV, traveling to the Florida Keys, visiting family and making memories after years of working, raising children and waiting for the right time.
Then came early June 2025, their 10th wedding anniversary.
Jodie Fritz, who was 48 at the time, was diagnosed with terminal stage 4 breast cancer. What began with pain and a lump under her arm led to a biopsy, more appointments, a PET scan and news no family is ever ready to hear.
“We didn’t get stage one,” Thomas Fritz said. “We were starting at the end.”
For Jodie, the diagnosis was shocking, but she said she never allowed it to take over her spirit. “When I first heard stage four, I didn’t freak out,” Jodie said. “I didn’t really feel any different. I guess it really never rang a bell.”
She said she has tried to stay positive throughout treatment, even as the cancer has progressed. “I tell everybody, the good Lord’s got me either way I go,” Jodie said. “He can heal me here, or he can heal me and take me home.”
The diagnosis came during an already painful season for the family. Jodie had recently lost her father to cancer after helping care for him while he was on hospice. Soon after, she was facing her own cancer battle.
Jodie said she had gone for yearly mammograms, but because of dense breast tissue and other delays, she did not know how serious the lump was. She said she hopes her story encourages others to push for answers and seek care quickly.
“Early detection and people thinking this can’t happen to them, that’s important,” Jodie said. “I have females in my family who think they don’t need to get a mammogram. Yes, you do. Get checked every year. Don’t let them tell you that you’re good for two years.”
Thomas said the early days brought anger, sadness and fear, but also a realization that the life they had planned for “someday” could not wait.
“After about four days of that, I said, ‘You know what, we can have a retirement together, but we have to do it now,’” Thomas said. That decision became the beginning of what the couple now calls the “Where’s JoJo?” Pink Bus Journey.
Thomas purchased a school bus in June and began converting it into an RV-style vehicle for Jodie. The goal is to paint it pink, prepare it for travel and take it on a 31-day journey in October during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The bus is more than transportation. For Thomas, it is a way to give his wife comfort on the road, allow her to rest while they travel and create memories together while they still can.
“It’s a distraction, because I’m doing it with her and I’m not thinking about the end,” Thomas said. “It’s keeping her distracted, too.”
Jodie said she is already thinking about how the inside of the bus will look. “I want to do pink and white inside,” she said with a laugh. “I don’t know if my husband really wants to look at all this pink.”
Cancer changed the timeline, but Thomas said it did not take away the dream. “This is our new love story,” he said. “It’s about being together, doing stuff together and making memories. When she passes, I just want to have a lot of memories that we created together.”
Thomas and Jodie have been married for 11 years. Together, they have five children and four grandchildren.
Before her diagnosis, Jodie worked for UPS, a job Thomas said she enjoyed. She later had to stop working because of the physical demands of the job, her pain, and the effects of surgery and treatment. The family also lost one of their strongest health insurance coverages, adding financial strain to an already difficult situation.
Still, Thomas said he was determined to make the bus project happen. He used stock savings to purchase the bus and has been working to find volunteers, sponsors, mechanics, painters and others willing to help with the conversion. He said the inside does not have to be perfect. The essentials are simple: a bed, solar power, air conditioning, and a bus safe enough for Jodie to travel comfortably.
The plan is to paint the bus pink in late July, around Jodie’s birthday on July 25. Thomas hopes to hold a reveal event soon after, depending on the painting schedule.
Jodie said the nickname started when she worked at UPS and a coworker began calling her JoJo. Later, on trips to Key West, the couple started making “Where’s JoJo?” videos to share with family and friends.
When they filmed a video with the bus, Jodie was only supposed to say her line. Instead, Thomas said she began playing along, moving the steering wheel, pressing buttons, and asking if she could drive.
“To me, that said she was bought in,” Thomas said. “She was enjoying this, and now she was excited.” Jodie may not be able to help with the bus as much as she wants, but she is still part of the process.
The October journey is planned to include stops in Alabama, Georgia and Florida. The couple hopes to kick off Breast Cancer Awareness Month on Oct. 1 with the Joy to Life Foundation before traveling to breast cancer walks, 5K events and other cancer-related stops in Georgia and Florida.
The bus may continue to serve a purpose even after the October trip. “We can keep the bus, and we can do the Thanksgiving parade,” she said. “We can do the Christmas parade. I’m from the Pensacola area, and we always go down there for Mardi Gras. Now I’m thinking that we can be in the parade, not just watching the parade.”
Thomas said the goal is not only to raise awareness, but to support other cancer organizations along the route and encourage people who may be going through their own battles. “It’s more about when you get it, it’s real,” he said. “For me, it’s about early detection. They have to find a better way to get to stage one instead of stage four first.”
For someone facing a cancer diagnosis, Jodie said her message is to not give up or sit alone in fear. “If you’ve just recently been diagnosed or know somebody that’s been diagnosed, pray about it,” Jodie said. “Give it to God. Don’t sit at home and be depressed.”
Jodie has been fortunate to stay active through much of her treatment, even though some days are harder than others. “The good Lord has let me get up and go every day. I do get tired, and there are some days I don’t want to get out of bed. But I do as much as I can.”
The journey also has a deeper purpose for the couple. Thomas said their faith has carried them through the hardest days, and he hopes people see hope in their story.
“I’m not happy about this,” Thomas said. “But I know God has a plan, and I’m along for the ride, however long or short it will be.”
As Jodie continues getting treatment and Thomas continues working on the bus, the couple is taking each day as it comes. There are medical appointments, hard nights, financial concerns and moments when the future feels heavy.
But there is also a pink bus, a road map, a birthday celebration, a planned reveal and a husband determined to give his wife the trip they once thought they had years to take.
Jodie said she is choosing to stay upbeat through it all. “I try not to let it get me down,” she said. “I tell everybody it’s like living on vacation. I’m broke vacationing, but I’m on vacation.”
For Thomas and JoJo, the pink bus is not just a project. It is love in motion.
For more information about the Pink Bus Journey, follow their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/share/18tSzuobYQ/?mibextid=wwXIfr.
To support the project during its 90-day journey from June 27 through Sept. 27, donations can be made through their GoFundMe page at https://gofund.me/585b1c804.
Their journey can also be followed on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/@WheresJoJo-ThePinkBus.
