Jack Strickland is a retired AP writer who is active in the war against cancer. He, himself, is a survivor.
As a reporter he covered many of the major stories in Florida.
He lives in Gainesville where he is an advocate for cancer patients of all ages. Jack finds special joy in getting
sports stars and teams involved in the care young cancer victims. He claims that the athletes benefit from the involvement
as much as the patients. He says he managed to miss many tackles as a football player long ago, and learned that defeat can be
temporary and serve as the foundation for success.
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They left hospital for the last time, in a red sports car
August 12, 2011Gainesville
You don’t expect to find uncommon beauty and charm among very sick cancer patients . . . but there it was.
The couple approaching me at the door of Shands Cancer Hospital could have been making a grand entrance, stopping traffic at the Academy Awards ceremony. They were every bit as radiant and captivating as a pair of “hot” movie stars.
The woman was absolutely beautiful. He was a true gentleman. There was something about this couple that told the world that they were very much in love. He was attentive to her every need.
He couldn’t seem to take his eyes off her as he escorted her out of the building and into the parking lot. They moved slowly as she leaned heavily on his arm. She looked like a fashion model – thin and poised. Her makeup was flawless. Her nails, both fingers and toes, were elegantly done.
Her stylish hairdo gave the impression that she had just returned from the beauty parlor. A colorful silk scarf kept every hair in place. They would have looked at home on the runway of a Vogue fashion show.
The brisk foot traffic in and out of the hospital slowed as people stopped to observe. Those normally in a hurry to get in and out of the hospital were captivated by the love story being played out before them.
Only those involved in the daily battle against cancer were likely to recognize that she wore a wig. It was not evident to the layman that she had lost all her hair and a substantial amount of weight in a long, hard, battle against breast cancer.
As these two old lovers slowly made their way to their car he entertained her with constant chatter. She giggled, frequently, at whatever he was saying. They reminded me of a couple of teenagers who had just discovered the beauty of love and were totally engrossed with each other.
They made their way to a brand new Corvette Stingray. It was red with a black canvas convertible top. The tag was a temporary cardboard registration. This flashy new sports car was someone’s dream come true.
The gentleman lowered the convertible top and tenderly strapped his lady into her seat. He jogged around the car, buckled his seat belt, and reached over to steal a kiss from his date. He fired-up the big engine. She removed her scarf, rested her head affectionately on his shoulder and placed her hand rakishly on his thigh.
As they pulled out of the parking lot, he “burned rubber,” squealing the tires just enough to establish himself as a bad boy. Duly impressed, she threw her head back and laughed. With her head continuing to rest on his shoulder, she held her scarf up in the wind and trailed it as they pulled out into the street, into traffic, and went out of sight.
I noticed an old friend, who is a nurse, standing back, taking it all in from the distance. She had tears in her eyes. I walked over, put my arm around her, and said, “Lady, didn’t you learn anything in school? Don’t you know you are not supposed to get too close to your patients?”
“Yes”, she said, “but, this one is really special. All of us fell in love with her. She waged such a brave fight. But, it’s over now. She won’t live out this week.”
Almost speaking to herself, she added, as her voice trailed off, “Her husband is so supportive. They enjoyed a lifelong fairy tale love affair together. Their devotion to each other is so evident and so beautiful. She is a very lucky woman. I wonder what it’s like for a woman to be loved that much . . . “
“I’d say her husband is the lucky one,” I said.
“It looks to me like he is the one is who is really loved.”
At Shands Hospital the beat goes on. It is a never-ending process. Fighting cancer is tough. But sometimes being locked into battle with such an unrelenting foe brings out the very best in all of us.