Beating Cancer: The 2020 Version
Kethan Shirodkar (10-2)
“It was the month after my mother had passed. At the age of seven, I was extremely confused. But as time passed, I became extremely thankful for my current situation.”
Kevin McHale (10-3) has been living with his grandparents for eight years now, after his mother unexpectedly passed away in 2012. His grandmother is 71 and his grandfather is 74, and they have acted as Kevin’s parents throughout his childhood. The three have shared many special moments. “I remember the night of the Super Bowl, our whole family was crying,” Kevin recalls. It was such a rollercoaster of an event.” He smiles at the vivid memory of the Eagles winning the Super Bowl, just like any Philadelphia fan would. “If only we could go back.”
Turning back time would mean returning to other good things, too, like life before Kevin’s grandfather’s prostate cancer diagnosis last April. “Every time he went for tests, his PSA [Prostate Specific Antigen] levels were getting higher… I wasn’t really sure, but my grandma knew. It’s just, the word ‘cancer’ is frightening to hear.”
PSA is a protein produced by cells of the prostate gland. It is measured in nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL), and a normal rate is 4.0 ng/mL. Yearly PSA tests are recommended for males above 50, and every six months when Kevin’s grandfather went, the levels increased.
“He was diagnosed in April this year, and at that point, we weren’t surprised,” Kevin said. “We had seen the high PSA levels, so we were kind of expecting it to happen.”
The cancer diagnosis on its own was scary enough, but the radiation therapy that comes with treating it weakens the immune system which, in the time of COVID-19, has made for a terrifying situation for Kevin and his family. Still, despite the fear, life went on.
"Kevin and his grandparents at middle school graduation (June 2019)"
Photo courtesy of Kevin McHale (10-3)
“Nothing much changed for my grandpa [after the diagnosis]. He still was himself and did the same things. I tried to help out more around the house, and my grandma does a lot more online shopping, instead of all of us going to the store.”
The diagnosis didn’t change the love for sports that Kevin’s family has, whether it be watching or playing.
“I love watching the Sixers, but my grandparents aren't super into basketball. They like soccer though, and we love Real Madrid. But why’d Ronaldo have to leave us?” Kevin jokes. Cristiano Ronaldo, arguably the best soccer player in the world, left his Real Madrid club team for Juventus in 2018. Many of Real Madrid’s supporters were because of Ronaldo, and they switched teams when he did. Kevin’s family, whose ancestors are from Spain, stayed true to their team.
Kevin’s grandfather not only loves soccer, but tennis, too. He laughs while saying, “We had to pay extra for the soccer and tennis channels, but it was worth it.” His family tries to watch every match live, and if they can't, it’s most likely because Kevin has his own tennis practice. They record the games and watch them whenever it fits into their schedules.
The schedule of Kevin’s grandfather (before the diagnosis) was, in the words of Kevin:
6:15- 6:30: Wakes up
6:30-7: Eats his own breakfast
7:20-7:30: Wakes Kevin up and cooks him breakfast
8-9: Watches El Chinguito de Jugones: Spain’s Famous Soccer Talk Show
9-11: Finds random things to do, like goes to the store, gets gas, takes out the trash. He wants to help around the house as much as he can.
11-12: Watches the news, makes lunch for the family.
12:15-1: Lunch
1-2:30: Plans the rest of the day and options for dinner; goes on his phone looking for soccer games or news. Takes a nap sometimes
2:30-4:30: Takes Kevin to the playground to practice tennis. He helps and warms up Kevin by feeding and hitting him tennis balls. Kevin’s grandfather has been playing tennis for a long time and is slowly playing less and less.
4:30: Makes dinner, dinner is served from 5-5:30
5:30-6:30: Family time, they will watch sports or a tv show
6:30-7: Gets ready for bed- shower, change clothes, etc.
7-10: In his room, watches TV and winds down for the night.
Prostate cancer, while being the second most common cancer in men (behind lung cancer), is not very deadly in most cases. The five-year survival rate for men diagnosed with prostate cancer is 99%, and the earlier it is caught, the more likely of successful treatment. Many men can withhold immediate treatment if it is considered a low-risk tumor, and Kevin’s grandfather waited until school was out to undergo his therapy.
“Therapy started in June, and the doctors said it would take six months, so he is still using his chemotherapy needle until December,” said Kevin. “The radiation started two weeks after the therapy, and it lasted 45 days. Every day, he would wake up early for his radiation at 7:30.” “It’s sort of crazy how everything was so closely timed,” Kevin, still shocked, explained. “He had to come home right after his radiation and take me to work, which started at eight if I wanted to hit early.” Kevin worked as a camp counselor at Torresdale Playground in Northeast Philly, teaching kids ages five to twelve and helping them improve their tennis skills.
Even though Kevin’s grandfather had to undergo radiation every morning, “He had, and still has, a very positive outlook on things. He still is the same old self, and he does the same old things as he used to. Not much has changed. He just takes his medicine before and after dinner.” Kevin laughs and explains that the treatment went really well. “He is still his same old self. He yells at the TV when the Eagles are losing, and they've done a lot of that this year. So I guess he never really changed.”