Longtime Victoria mentor and business owner battling stage 4 cancer

Published 5:45 am Tuesday, February 24, 2026

After decades spent lifting others up, the community is now being asked to stand with Troy “T-Bone” Wilson, a longtime mentor, coach, and business owner in Victoria.

Wilson is going through advanced stage four peritoneal cancer, and a fundraiser is currently underway to help him go to Spain for medical treatment in an effort to extend his time with his family.

Wilson, 49, is a father of 10 year old twins and a four year old. He is well-known as an educational assistant, where he worked closely with children with autism and special needs.

Many others might know him as a coach at Eli Pasquale Basketball Camps, where he worked for 22 years providing athletes with mentorship and guidance.

After decades spent lifting others up, the community is now being asked to stand with Troy Wilson, for cancer treatment. (Troy ‘T-Bone Wilson Facebook)

Wilson is the owner and operator of Status Barber Shop in Victoria. For 16 years, he has been known not only as a barber at his multi-award-winning shop, but as a person who made people leave feeling seen, respected and valued.

He launched a nonprofit initiative by the name of No Child Left Uncut, which organized fundraisers and community events to donate and provide free haircuts to unhoused individuals youth in Victoria.

He also opened his home to rehabilitated juvenile youth through the YMCA, offering stability and care when it was needed most.

“Community, to me, is love and understanding. Community to me is having a purpose to give. And I’ve been a giver my whole life, so it is extremely hard for me to ask for something in return because I feel so blessed in so many ways,” Wilson told Victoria News.

For the past two years, Wilson has battled cancer privately, self-funding treatments while also serving the community.

“It’s very unfortunate that I’ve come down with this chronic illness, but I’ve lived such an amazing life, and I’m very thankful and very happy with the life that I’ve lived. Now, my goal is to extend what I can because I have young children,” Wilson told Victoria News.

Wilson said that the response to the fundraiser has been overwhelming.

“I value the five dollar donation just as much, if not more, than the $5,000 donation, because I know it’s a tough world out there and people are struggling.”

Recently, Wilson was informed that the condition is inoperable in Canada, and a specialized medical clinic in Spain has offered advanced treatment.

The projected cost for treatment, international travel, accommodations, and maintaining family stability exceeds $200,000 and is not covered by public healthcare.

In the next phases, he will be requiring support for ongoing care during treatment abroad, and assisting with recovery and family stability while he is unable to work full-time and his wife balances employment with caregiving.

With the donations, community members are leaving messages and memories of Wilson. “You were extremely kind when I tried to bring my son in for his first haircut and he lost his marbles in the chair. It’s amazing to hear about all of the love you’ve put into your community and I hope you receive it back tenfold so you can take this chance in Spain,” one of them wrote.

Wilson has a message to everybody who has shown support for him and his family.

“It’s love. It’s the stories. It’s the impact that people have been reaching out to tell me that I’ve made in their life. That’s where the value is. The value is not the money. The value is my healing, my mental health, and all these blessings and spirits.”

The donations can be made through the GoFundMe account: www.gofundme.com/f/troy-tbone-wilson