CHILLIWACK, B.C. -- Just off of Highway One in Chilliwack, B.C., is a building that鈥檚 been transformed into a sanctuary for horses stranded by the recent devastating flooding.

It鈥檚 the work of a man who is used to tenacity despite the odds.

鈥淚'd rather be here with the horses,鈥� Rob Kenney told 麻豆影视. 鈥淭hey're stressed out just like everyone else in this world, especially here in B.C.鈥�

Kenney is no stranger to stress. Six years ago, he got a devastating diagnosis.

鈥淭urns out that I was stage 4 with melanoma,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 had three weeks left to live.鈥�

Pictures of him during treatment show him 80 pounds lighter, a shadow of his former self. But he fought anyway.

鈥淚 had hope. I had faith. All I could do was just push forward and stay strong,鈥� he said.

Now, he鈥檚 passing that hope and strength on.

With his usual work suspended because of flooding, Kenney, who himself was under an evacuation order after a mudslide last week, is volunteering to take care of horses who have been displaced by the flooding.

He鈥檚 even been sending pictures to their owners to give them comfort that their animals are OK 鈥� all the while thinking of his own horse back in Alberta, where Kenney usually stays when he鈥檚 not working.

鈥淗e's the love of my life,鈥� he said.

Kenney got his horse, Bubba, during remission.

鈥淚 talk to him and it's great for my mental health. Horses do that,鈥� he said.

The shelter is also helping other volunteers, who are forging deep bonds.

鈥淲e all just came together and we became one huge family here,鈥� one volunteer, Shelley Schenderling, told 麻豆影视.

For some volunteers, it鈥檚 a distraction from the worries that the storm has brought up.

鈥淚 couldn't sit on my couch, I couldn't watch on TV,鈥� Justin Honeywell said.

There is continuing anxiety about the forecast, which calls for more rain soon.

In fact, Kenney rushed to bring the animals in during a surprise deluge while 麻豆影视 was interviewing him and his team.

But although it鈥檚 a tense time right now, he鈥檒l be the first to tell you that life鈥檚 storms do eventually pass.

鈥淲hether it's tomorrow, it's a week down the road, another month maybe, three years down the road,鈥� Rob said. 鈥淵ou're gonna get through it, and they're going to get through theirs.鈥�

Resilience he鈥檚 using to help save the animals who once saved him.