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Man with cancer turns 300 bowling ball into urn

WILKINS TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A Wilkins Township man with stage 4 prostate cancer is planning for the inevitable in a very unique way.

Tony Guarino received his diagnosis four years ago. Now, his love for bowling is part of his dying wish. When the time comes, Tony will use as an urn the ball with which he bowled his only 300 game. The ball was customized so that his wife can place his ashes inside.

"I've been bowling for 44 years. When I was 4, my grandfather used to take me up to my uncle's place," Tony told Channel 11 News.

His uncle's place, the Swissvale Bowl-A-Rama, is where Tony got his nickname, "Gutterball." He's come a long way since then -- all the way to a perfect 300.

While it's been a long, tough battle with cancer, Tony and his wife are thinking positively so that they can inspire others.

"I think the thing that helps is that we do talk about it," his wife, Stacy Guarino, said.

"I look at it this way: Every day, I wake up. I see my wife and dog. It's a good day," Tony said, as he encouraged others to live life to the fullest.

Tony found out that the cancer spread through his spine, forcing him to quit work and his favorite sport.

The Dream Foundation heard of his plan to create the bowling ball urn and flew him to Utah to make it a reality.