NCDOT employees rally around colleague battling cancer, raise $20,000

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- Davin Schmidt isn't religious but agrees that prayer works.

The 47-year-old husband and father was released from the hospital on Saturday.

He was diagnosed with Leukemia two years ago, which forced him to miss holidays and months of work.

"I qualified for sick leave, which is where people can donate their vacation and sick time to me so I can keep going," said Schmidt.

Schmidt has worked as an engineer for NCDOT for nearly 30 years and his coworkers have watched his painful medical journey unfold.

And they decided to step in and help.

"Instead of doing our normal charity golf tournament, we decided to do it for Davin," said NCDOT employee David Plummer. "Whenever you battle a disease like that for long as he has, obviously, it takes a financial and physical toll. The financial toll. It's something we thought we could help with."

The fight continues as Davin prepares to receive another chemo treatment.

The others were unsuccessful.

"It was amazing on just how much this could help with my medical bills," said Schmidt. "I'm going to keep going until I can't go no more."