TURNER – Andy Varney loves John Deere tractors.

He’s joked with oncology nurses at Central Maine Medical Center that the blood in his veins runs yellow and green, John Deere colors. Red would be for International Harvester tractors, and there’s a mild look of disgust on his face at the thought of supporting the rival brand.

Varney, 53, has been battling non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma for nearly 10 years. More recently, it hasn’t been going well.

He shared something else with those nurses: Just once, he’d like to go to the Two-Cylinder Tractor Exposition in Iowa, a giant John Deere playground for grownups.

Oncology staff got on the phone with the president of John Deere.

They connected with a generous auctioneer, who put up lodging and expo tickets.

And the Dream Foundation, a California nonprofit that grants the wishes of terminally ill adults, paid for airfare.

Varney and his wife, Pauline, leave for Waterloo in three weeks.

“I’m looking forward to it, darn right I am,” he said.

Varney grew up on his dad’s dairy farm. He said he can remember being a “little fella standing between dad’s legs, driving the ‘A’ tractor; I must have been 5 years old.”

He and his father, George, haven’t had the cows for years now. There’s still the farm and fields of hay and plenty of excuses to ride around.

George called John Deere his son’s “weakness.”

“Any (other tractor) is either a boat anchor or a paperweight,” Andy said.

He restored his grandfather’s tractor, a ’49 Deere, when it turned 50 and he’s also restored other machines.

Since doctors discovered his cancer nine years ago in November, Varney has been in remission twice.

“I’ve done chemo, stem cell transplant, radiation one fall. You name it, I’ve done it,” he said.

Two weeks ago, after a fourth round of chemotherapy didn’t work, he, Pauline and his doctor decided: no more.

“When my body doesn’t want to cooperate, there isn’t a lot we can do,” Varney said.

Meanwhile he’s happy he can still get around and that he’s not stuck at home. Kerry Irish, a CMMC oncology social worker, said that positive attitude makes an impression on people.

“Andy has a lot of fans,” she said.

“Truthfully, he knows he’s very special to us,” Irish added. “I think he knew we were up to something. When we told him, he was grateful and touched.”

Andy and Pauline have been married almost 29 years. They have two boys, Jacob and Matthew, neither of whom share dad’s passion for John Deere. Maybe they’ll come around.

“They’re both going to have a tractor,” Varney said. “I’ve got two.”