With each new diagnosis, cancer seems to be stalking the Townsend family.
They can’t escape it.
Harold Townsend went through months of hell to beat prostate cancer, and doctors were confident they had eliminated it. His wife, Judi Townsend, had breast cancer that required chemotherapy, radiation and surgery.
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Their grandson, Kaleb Buck, battled a rare form of the disease called Ewing’s sarcoma for five years. He died in 2016, just months before Harold Townsend learned he had pancreatic cancer which had metastasized and spread to his liver.
He has been hospitalized throughout the month of September.
“You’re not supposed to ask God, but, ‘Why?’ Judi Townsend said. “Still, if we didn’t have our faith, I don’t know how we would have handled it. I have to give him all the praise.”
The cascade of tragedy has beaten the Townsends, but they’ve tried to remain strong. Leaning heavily on their faith and each other, they have tried to stand in the face of what seems like unending bad news.
Still, with prayer and support from the people around them, they remain hopeful.
“It’s something no one wants to hear. It is what it is. I have to live withwhat I’m dealt and go on,” he said. “Seeing how (Kaleb) went through and how strong he was with it, there’s no way I could complain.”
Despite their own health struggles, and Harold Townsend’s deteriorating health, nothing compares to the loss the family feels from seeing their grandson succumb to cancer. Pictures of Kaleb fill their Franklin home.
Harold Townsend was going through his phone recently when he found an old voice mail message from his grandson, the last one that Kaleb had left that he never erased. Emotions flooded over him.
“It still affects us. I suppose it always will,” Judi Townsend said.
Cancer wasn’t a disease that ran in the Townsend family. So when Harold Townsend was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2010, it took them by surprise.
Harold Townsend was first diagnosed during a routine prostate exam. Treatment required him to have 42 rounds of radiation at Urology of Indiana, but he opted against surgery, which his doctors explained would not change his chances of a relapse much, if at all.
The treatment was painful at times, but cancer was something Harold Townsend could suffer through. Much more difficult was the news that his grandson Kaleb Buck had been diagnosed.
Kaleb was 13-years-old when he discovered a squishy mass in his mouth. The lump turned out to be a tumor growing out of his cheekbone, a type of cancer called Ewing’s sarcoma, which attacks the bones.
Scans showed that the tumor was malignant, and that an aggressive response was needed. Doctors recommended 10 months of chemotherapy, between three and five days each week, to kill the cancer. Radiation treatment would then kill any remaining cancer cells.
At first, it appeared the approach had worked. Kaleb was cancer free in all of his check-ups nearly a year after finishing treatment. But in late 2012, he started complaining of neck pain and suffering problems walking and using his hands.
Scans revealed a nightmare scenario for the family. Tumors covered the C6 vertebrae at the base of his neck. The pressure from the tumors was pushing on his trachea and his spinal cord, which was affecting his movement.
Surgery was required immediately, followed by radiation and chemotherapy that lasted indefinitely. His condition stabilized, and he went through the hellish cycles of unending chemotherapy. But in late 2015, additional cancer was found in his lungs, followed by the discovery of tumors covering his spine, shoulders, upper arms and legs, ribs, pelvis and knees.
The community rallied around the Buck family, hosting prayer events and helping organize a special graduation ceremony in March, so that Kaleb could receive his diploma and walk across the stage. Thousands of people gave the weakened teen a standing ovation.
“He touched so many people’s lives,” Judi Townsend said.
In the midst of Kaleb’s declining health, the family dealt with yet another body blow. Judi Townsend was diagnosed with breast cancer in December of 2015, just before the holidays. She had felt a lump, and went to have a mammogram for a clearer picture of what the mass was.
The mammogram and subsequent biopsy confirmed that it was aggressive Stage 2 cancer.
“I was shocked. I was 72 at the time, and I had no breast cancer in my family. Not me, at this age,” she said.
Her initial impulse was to keep the diagnosis a secret, so the family could cobble together a meaningful holiday free from tragedy. But she made the difficult decision to let the family know.
“Telling my girls was the worst thing I ever had to do,” she said.
Judi Townsend started treatment at Community Cancer Center South, under the care of Dr. Mary Lou Mayer, an oncologist with Community Health Network.
Because her cancer was an aggressive, Meyers recommended surgery, then an intensive chemotherapy to kill the cancer cells followed by radiation.
“I was down. It knocked me off my feet,” she said.
Doctors informed her on April 17, 2016, that she was cancer free. But what should have been good news was instead washed out by tragedy. Only days prior, Kaleb succumbed to the cancer that had overtaken his body. He was 17.
“It was hard to be happy. I felt guilty. I couldn’t celebrate; I wasn’t happy,” she said.
When Harold Townsend was found to have pancreatic cancer, it was exhausting to even consider going through treatment again. He had started to become jaundiced, his skin and eyes taking on a yellow hue. Scans showed that the bile duct in his pancreas, which is vital in digestion, was blocked. Doctors suspected cancer.
The news was that the tumors had metastasized, spreading to his liver and elsewhere.
“When I first got prostate cancer in 2010, they asked me, what does it feel like to have cancer? Prostate cancer is very curable, and they took care of it,” he said. “But when I got this, it’s a deep thought hearing that you have it, because everything says that less than 95 percent of the people who have pancreatic cancer survive. So that’s alarming.”
The only option for treatment was chemotherapy, using whatever mix of drugs his oncologist can come up with to stop the growth of the cancer.
“It’s one of those things where it’s not curable, but it’s treatable. At least until the chemo stops working or you’ve had enough,” Judi Townsend said.
In late August, Harold Townsend went back to his doctor for a CT scan, to gauge if the treatment was still working. Markers in his blood, which can indicate if the cancer was growing or spreading, had nearly doubled.
Scans revealed that the cancer was growing, and he had to be hospitalized in September. He became so weak that he couldn’t get out of bed.
“We don’t know what we have in front of us,” Judi Townsend said. “But we have our faith, and we’re going to be positive.”
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Harold Townsend
Age: 74
Residence: Franklin
Type of cancer: Prostate cancer
When diagnosed: 2010
Treatment: 42 sessions of radiation treatment
Type of cancer: Terminal pancreatic cancer
When diagnosed: 2016
Treatment: Indefinite chemotherapy
What did cancer teach you?
"Try to be strong and have a positive attitude.
How did cancer change you?
"It’s been a rollercoaster. But you have to accept it, go with the punches and hope for the best."
What would you tell someone with cancer?
"Hang in there. Wish for the best."
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Judi Townsend
Age: 74
Residence: Franklin
Type of cancer: Breast cancer
When diagnosed: December 2015
Treatment: Surgery followed by chemotherapy
What did cancer teach you?
"You have to have support — from your family and friends, and the prayers. I can’t explain how it makes you feel."
How did cancer change you?
"We’re stronger in our faith. I don’t know what we would have done with it. I have to give (God) all the praise."
What would you tell someone just diagnosed with cancer?
"Get your mammograms. That’s one of the most important things."
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