Do you wonder if you’ll ever be as amazing as your parents? I guess I’m fortunate enough to have parents who make me feel that way. My dad left a legacy. He was a legend. But not in the sense you may be thinking. He wasn’t a celebrity. He didn’t sing Top 20 songs. He wasn’t in movies and wasn’t a professional sports star. He didn’t make a lot of money. But what he did was so much bigger than any of those things.
What did he do, you ask? What made him so amazing? He taught my brother, me, and others around him who knew his story how to fight, persevere, and never give up. Always have faith, and remember that God is good no matter your situation. When things get tough…RISE. As I began to develop my blog content, I knew I needed to include my dad’s story as part of the background to why I started this blog in the first place.
My dad’s nickname was Big Dave.
Fast-pitch softball was his favorite sport, and he was an amazing athlete in it. Standing at 6’3”, he was a powerhouse hitter and first baseman with long legs that stretched out from first base when catching the ball. When my dad came up to bat, everyone held their breath, knowing there was a good possibility he’d hit a home run. But Big Dave’s strength and athleticism would one day slowly fade as numerous diseases overcame him.
My dad weathered the storm of a prostate cancer diagnosis in his early 60s just as he was close to retirement. As he began the course of treatment, I’ll never forget my mom, dad, and I sitting there in the doctor’s office, discussing treatment options with a grim prognosis because he had an aggressive form of prostate cancer. He took out his wallet and took out a picture of Grace, my daughter who wasn’t even a year old at the time, and told the doctor, “This is my granddaughter, Grace, and I want to do whatever I have to do so that I can watch her grow up like I have been able to watch my grandson.”
When he began chemotherapy, which at that time was a clinical trial, his doctor discovered he had a blood disorder, ITP, and that would keep him from being able to finish the chemotherapy. After that, the next step in treatment was surgery, and then radiation. He even continued to work as he went through all the various treatments. The doctors gave him a five-year survival prognosis when he was diagnosed, as a result of the aggressive prostate cancer he had, but they didn’t know him. My dad gave us 19 years. It was the truest example of how to rise.
During this time, he was also diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.
As a result of Parkinson’s, he would slowly begin to deteriorate. Finding it difficult to walk while shuffling his feet. He took a painfully long time just to shower and brush his teeth. Eating would become a chore as he fought to get the fork or spoon to his mouth. He fell multiple times, breaking both wrists, both hips, and even his kneecap. He eventually lost his ability to drive because of his slow reaction time. That was hard for him because he had been a truck driver all his life. Now, he even had to give that freedom up, too. My mom became his caretaker in the truest sense of the word as he began to lose the independence and strength he always had.
As Parkinson’s continued to take its toll on his body, cancer would rear its ugly head again.
My dad needed to have several types of skin cancer removed. Repeatedly, these spots would show up and need to be removed. We would learn this was a result of Parkinson’s, who would have known? Then, when we least expected it, he was diagnosed with colon cancer, opting to have a colostomy to give himself the best chance of longevity and survival. He also did chemotherapy to diminish the possibility of the colon cancer returning. Then, Parkinson’s began to advance even more, and my dad would struggle to take care of the colostomy on his own. My mom also would rise through it all, becoming a caretaker and nurse while making sacrifices so my dad could have the best care possible.
As if getting another cancer diagnosis wasn’t enough, the prostate cancer returned in his lungs. He would get Lupron injections every month to keep the prostate cancer at bay. The doctor would continuoulsy monitor his platelet count, which was always lower from the ITP, because the injections would knock the platelets way down. Eventually, he would be unable to do Lupron injections because it was leading to osteoporosis. He then began Nplate injections to keep his platelet count up because it kept dropping as a result of the ITP.
In his last year, he fell and broke his neck. It took him 5 days after the fall before he would finally tell us that the pain was enough to go to the ER! Christmas was close, and he didn’t want to miss out on time with family. Family was the most important thing to him, besides his faith. We didn’t know when we made the 911 call that it would be the last time he would be home when the Fire/EMS crew transported him to the ER. The doctor told us only 2% of people who have a break in the neck like his survive, and sure enough, my dad was one of them! It will always amaze me how strong he was and what a fighter he was!
So now, when I ask what made my dad amazing, it’s a little clearer to you.
He never once gave up. He would even attend Delay the Disease classes for Parkinson’s patients twice a week to keep his body moving and prevent Parkinson’s from progressing. He fought hard with everything that was thrown at him. He would rise up every time, face it, and fight it without one single complaint. His faith in God and Jesus would continue to grow, and he used it as his strength.
Sometimes, I would see the sadness in his eyes. He lost the ability to drive and smile his big smile as his face became more frozen. He eventually was unable to walk. Using a wheelchair was difficult for him because he lost more independence and was always a very active person, but he wouldn’t complain. Sometimes, he would get down, and I know he would question why him, but he would never dwell on it for too long. He would continue the fight and never stopped living life. Living life was a priority for him under any circumstances.
He and our little dog Rudy, were like best buds.
I wrote a blog about Rudy, too. You can read about it here: How To Be Like Your Dog. Rudy and my dad had much in common; they would rise no matter what life threw at them. And they had a special bond. Every time they went through a difficult time, they helped each other through. I remember how we would take Rudy to visit my parents; he couldn’t get to my dad fast enough. I would let him off the leash as soon as we got to the door, and he would fly over to him and jump on his lap. The two of them were thick as thieves and rose through adversity together. They inspired each other. Both fought through every curve ball life threw at them. Trying to still hit home runs by defeating each trial God gave them. And as for my dad, he never forgot how to have a good laugh, give a good side-eye, and be a little ornery like he was.
Yes, my dad is my hero. He’s my brother’s hero. He’s my nephew’s hero. He’s my daughter’s hero. He inspired many, and THAT is his legacy. What he taught us about living life made him a legend, leaving a legacy of rising above adversity that we could all be inspired by.
My dad taught us to RISE.
Let it be an example for you too. My dad was also part of the motivation behind my website, Rise Like Rudy. On my homepage, I share that my daughter, Rudy, and my dad inspired me to create the website. So, sharing my dad’s legacy and story is part of sharing the background for the website. I hope you find inspiration to RISE like those who inspired me. I will continue to share stories of strength and inspiration from the people in my life. I hope their stories will help you RISE too!