Milestones: Fighting Cancer and Graduating College

[This article was published in Kennesaw State University’s first issue of Pipeline, in Dec. 2011.]

The last week of college can be a stressful time for the typical senior. Each student works fervently to finish major projects and cram for the finals while mentally preparing for the end of an important life chapter. Brad Wilson’s last week was no exception. However, not only did he find himself fighting class deadlines and upcoming tests but also a greater threat: cancer.

Brad Wilson working as multimedia associate producer. [Image provided by Brad Wilson.]

In his last week at KSU, Wilson worked and studied, looking forward to two major milestones: the completion of his last chemotherapy treatment and graduation with his degree in communication.

Wilson has always been a strong communicator. “Communication has always been part of my personality,” he said. “I’ve always been open. I like to communicate … that translated into my desire to be in communications by writing for a college paper and so-forth. It is just something that comes naturally to me.”

Wilson began his college education at Gainesville State College on the Oconee campus. While the college had two separate campuses, the college only had one newspaper, The Compass. The stories written in Oconee were printed on the back pages of The Compass. So, Wilson decided to start a newspaper for the Oconee campus called, The Voice, where he acted as Editor-in-Chief. He was also hired by the local weekly newspaper, The Oconee Enterprise, as a staff writer.

Wilson transferred to KSU in January 2009 where he met Kelsey Danner. Danner, a Kennesaw friend of Wilson, describes him as “very extroverted and very friendly.” The first time Danner met Wilson was in a class at KSU, one of those evening classes few students are happy about attending. It was the first day of classes and everyone looked miserable. “I remember the first thing he said was ‘Wow, everyone looks so happy.’ I laughed so he sat next to me.”

Two days before a Disney vacation late in 2009, Wilson noticed a mysterious lump on his body. Since the trip was already planned, Brad went to Disney while wondering: was something was wrong with his body? When he returned home from the trip, he visited his general practitioner and then a specialist, who confirmed the growing suspicion: he had cancer.

The surgery was quickly scheduled and the cancer was removed. After the surgery, the doctors ran a blood test and found no remaining traces. The cancer was, by all indications, gone.

Life continued as it had before. Wilson began an internship at CNN while continuing his college experience. He planned on graduating in the summer and finally getting his degree. However, in May Wilson’s world was shaken once again.

A follow-up scan revealed not only that the cancer was back, but that it had spread to his lymph nodes. He would have to undergo chemotherapy.

“I remember having this conversation with my parents at the end of May,” he said. “They were like, ‘do you want to take the summer off?’ And I could have. I could have gone through chemo without  classes and taken the final two classes in the fall semester.”

But Wilson still had two months remaining on his apartment lease; he said he would not pay for months of a lease without also living there. He also did not want to go to chemotherapy and then come to his apartment just to sit; so he enrolled for his last two classes at KSU. He would graduate as planned.

“I needed school to get me through chemo as weird as that sounds. I needed the stimulation, the human interaction of me being able to do something while I went through.”

So like many other students, Wilson sat and listened to his professors for hours on end. He worked on his journalism capstone project creating a video highlighting the publisher of Oconee Enterprise. He went out to Oconee County from Kennesaw with film equipment and then edited the footage while hooked to an IV of chemotherapy medicine at Georgia Cancer Specialists at Kennestone Hospital.

“I think it gave him something to work for…,” Danner said. “He looked sick but tried to act healthy.” She said he lost all his hair, even his eyelashes. A PICC line, peripherally inserted central catheter, was placed in his arm so the doctors did not have to stick him with needles every day. Danner said that Wilson “was never a victim about it.” He even used his chemotherapy as a conversational icebreaker in class. “He never wanted people to feel sorry for him or cut him some slack.”

“Everybody looks at kids with cancer and they think they’re so brave, they’re so strong and there’s a certain truth to that,” Wilson said.

“You do have to have a strong will and a certain amount of strength to go through chemo but what’s the alternative? The alternative is death…it’s either get this treatment or die…. This is nothing special… this is my new normal.”

Wilson’s last day of chemotherapy was July 26. He graduated on July 28 and then on Aug. 1, he moved home.

Brad Wilson back in Disney World with his friend Kelsey Danner. On the day of this photograph,Wilson received a call from his doctor informing him that his last scan came back clean. Wilson has been in remission ever since.

“There were so many big milestones,” he said, “finishing chemo, graduating college, moving away from college, going back home; just a wider range of emotions… Wow, this long chapter of my life is over and now I have to go on to the next one.”

Brad Wilson back in Disney World with his friend Kelsey Danner. On the day of this photograph,Wilson received a call from his doctor informing him that his last scan came back clean. Wilson has been in remission ever since.

Today Wilson works as a Multimedia Associate Producer at 13WMAZ, a local newscast in Macon, Ga. He puts the newscast together, decides the order in which the stories will be told, which anchor will read each story, assigns camera shots, times the pieces and counts the newscaster down for show wrap up.

“If you followed a producer around for a day and watched what we did, it’s very hectic; it’s all on you.”

One of Brad’s favorite aspects of his position is the opportunity to book the guests for the weekend morning shows; Wilson gets to bring in a variety of guests which include cooks, financial guests, and various bands which they feature every Saturday. For communication majors interested in working in television, Wilson recommends internships at places such as CNN, FOX, WSB, WXIA and all other major locations for news.

“For anyone that is interested in TV, I strongly encourage them to get an internship,” he said. “And if they can’t get an internship, watch the news and watch how differently things are said as opposed to how you in journalism would write them because it is very different. Internships are HUGE.”

Wilson has been in remission since last year. He goes every three months for a blood test and every six months for a scan but he does not complain. “I will gladly go for checkups,” he said and then jokingly added,

“Cancer sucks, don’t get cancer.”