Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
If you are a regular listener to What Matters. So,
first of all, we just want to say thanks for that.
We always appreciate our listeners, and you also know that
we love to share all kinds of stories from you
the listener. Some of the stories are just so positive
and upbeat, and some of them have to deal with
life's battles.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Yeah, everybody has them, and we learned of one recently
that kind of comes from my side of town, if
you will, mindy kind of the Hilliard area, the west
side of Columbus. There is a beloved medical assistant that
my kids go to a pediatric doctor over there and
have for years since they were babies. That's part of
Central Ohio Primary Care. And when I heard that Joel
(00:43):
Kesterson was battling something and his daughter reached out to me,
I said, Okay, let's see what we can do to
make this better for his family, what he's going through.
And so that became sound Waves of Support, a benefit
concert for Joel Kesterson, and Joel and his daughter Johnette
join us here today in the studio.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
It's really good to see you guys.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
It's good to be here. It's good to be here.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
Let's start for the beginning, Joel, what are you diagnosed with,
when did it happen, and what was your reaction when
you first heard the diagnosis.
Speaker 4 (01:15):
The clinical term is salivary duct carcinoma. It's parodid gland cancer.
I have a tumor on my parotid gland and basically
I had a lump and I felt a little numbness
in my jaw line and such, and went to my
doctor and after CT scan at the end of May,
(01:44):
went on to other doctors and so forth. That sent
me to the James for the treatment or for the
actual diagnosis, and then they did a needle biopsy confirmed
that it was malignant tumor, and then the process just
(02:06):
kind of started from there.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
It's very rare.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Correct how many how many cases has os?
Speaker 3 (02:11):
You've seen?
Speaker 4 (02:13):
A handful?
Speaker 3 (02:14):
That's it.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
A handful, only a handful. It This particular cancer accounts
for about six to eight percent of all head and
net cancers. So yeah, it is a very rare cancer.
They from what I have learned in my research, twenty
(02:37):
five hundred cases worldwide. Wow, you know, it's it's a
very rare, very rare cancer.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
So so when you find out that your dad's going
through this. I mean, so many of us as kids,
our parents are heroes. We were just talking about grandparents
because it's National Grandparents' Day.
Speaker 5 (02:59):
What do you think it was a shock. I've always
been a daddy's girl. Like he's my concert buddy. He
I talked to him every night. If I need something
done in my house, I call him and say, hey,
I need this installed to come over. So and he's there,
and he's there, and he's always been there, and it
was tough to hear it. It's kind of a whirlwind
(03:23):
of emotions, anger and sadness, and you know, a little
bit of it's hard to describe because you know, I
I noticed it when I actually took my because my
son also goes to the pediatric office.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
That's how he got that job. Let's not forget that.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
I love that you still have the I can tell
the relationship with the humor.
Speaker 5 (03:48):
Yes, yes, But I took my son there for his
yearly check and I noticed just his face didn't look right.
And I don't, you know, I live in Lewis Center.
He lives in Hilliard now, so like I don't see
him all the time, but I noticed his face and
I just was like what what what's going on? And
he he was like, oh yeah, he goes feel it.
(04:09):
And I was like that that's not cooreat that, like
you're in the medical field. I'm in the medical field.
Like that's not okay. And I went to one of
the doctors he works for and I was like, Paul,
will you please tell him that that's not cool, like
have him go get that checked out, and and uh,
doctor Gilbert Paul.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
He he was like, yeah, that that actually doesn't look okay.
Speaker 5 (04:33):
And so it kind of continued to get the ball
rolling because he mentioned it to his doctors back in November,
but they were like, uh, you know, we'll wait and see.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
So I think this is a really important snapshot of
the story, right because you as this beloved m over
there and Hill You're you're like, God, it's fine, it's fine.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
But and I think so many people might do that,
I think for.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Two reasons, because they really think it's f or maybe
you don't want to know deep down.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
You know. I never really thought of it being cancer.
I just it just just yeah, just to you know,
it's just there. It's just you know, no no pain. No.
I mean, like I said, I had a little numbness
in my jaw line. I did notice that the numbness
started like kind of moving, and my ear started getting numb.
(05:27):
And that's when, you know, obviously it was a little
more concerned. Yeah, yeah, and then I knew something just
something's just not right, you know, So you know, not
going to you know, argue with the doctors that I
worked for or my daughter.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
That's the toughest one right there.
Speaker 4 (05:47):
Yeah, yeah, definitely definitely. But you know, and like I said,
you know, when got it checked out and and here
we are, I mean, and you know, like Johnette said, yeah,
it was a shock. It was you know, because I'm
I'm not the type of person that I don't get sick.
(06:10):
I don't have you know, I have ailments, you know,
I have you know, I have the occasional cold that
kind of thing, but I don't I don't get sick.
I don't have these kind of things, you know.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
I just it's just it's just not me, you know,
because of that.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
So yeah, so it shocked me a little bit. But
then I you know, and and you know, everybody keeps,
you know, asking me, you know, how how are you doing,
and so on and so forth, and then you know,
I have kind of a strange outlook on life, and
that is that, you know, I worry about the things
that I have control over. I don't worry about the
things that I don't have control.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
It sound just like my husband, he says that all
time control you can control.
Speaker 4 (06:57):
Yeah, exactly, control what you can control. And and you know,
all I can do at this point is keep moving
forward with my treatment, keep moving forward with the cure,
and just keep living, you know, because it's just not
I'm just not that type of person.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Your daughter says, there are some things we can control.
We might not be able to control your physical health,
and but we can control some other things. So you
stepped up and you said, I'm going to do something.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Yeah. So I've always kind of been a planner.
Speaker 5 (07:31):
I did wedding planning for years, wedding photography and stuff
like that.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
So fun job it is, It's a lot of fun.
Speaker 5 (07:37):
But it definitely showed me that, like I have that
control ability to get things done, and so yeah, I
just I was like, you know what, between you know,
my mom's got crones. She's had it since two thousand
and seven, and you know she's unfortunately after three surgeries,
(07:58):
not able to work anymore, and then him being the
sole provider in the household, and we all know how
the economy is, everything's expensive. So I was like, we
got to do something because cancer treatment's expensive if you're
not you know, his big I'm working during this. I'm like, Okay,
sure he's still currently working, but when does it get
(08:19):
to the point where you can't? And so I'm trying
to kind of combat that with this benefit of you know,
let's at least get you know, cost for treatment covered, right,
Like insurance doesn't cover everything. As much as you know,
we pay for insurance every single day, it's not going
to cover.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
We had former co workers in here that told us
that story fairly recently.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (08:38):
Yeah, so you know, if we can at least mitigate
the cost of the treatment alone with just this benefit,
I mean, that would help them out tremendously. And then
you know, if if there is extra to at least
help them with expenses and just you know, even gas
to get down to the James or food so you
don't have to cook every night.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Kind of thing.
Speaker 5 (09:00):
Is I like, my mom's cooking, but my dad's better,
and I know that he enjoys cooking, so like, so
you know, I know that stepping away from from the
stove and the girl for him is gonna be hard
when he can't.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
So as well loved as your dad is, how proud
are you of so many people who have stepped forward
and want to be a part of this journey and
help out one way or another.
Speaker 5 (09:24):
It's been fantastic the outreach between you know, I posted
about the band on Hilliard people Westerville, Delaware, I think
one other and just everybody's oh my goodness, I know
your dad and you know, I can't believe this and
it's so hard to hear, and just the the entire
(09:44):
it feels like central Ohio and Delaware community is reaching
out and trying to help. And I mean even with
you two both, I mean just that you were like,
oh yeah, Joel, like let's let's get it done. Like,
let's figure out a way to support him, because he
is he's extremely loved, and you know, he'll come home
(10:04):
and tell stories about you know, just kids hugging him,
and he'll go to grocery stores and kids are like, yeah,
I know you because he gives shots and you know,
but it's it's still that that love aspect of this
entire community has has really stepped up, donated things for
the Silent auction, donated services for the Silent auctions.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
So so tell people when the event is, time, location,
all that good stuff.
Speaker 5 (10:32):
Yeah, so it is Saturday the thirteenth. It'll be at
the Crooked Cannon Hilliard off of Center Street from twelve
to three.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
It's We're not charging admission.
Speaker 5 (10:43):
We want any any aspects of things that people are
willing to pay to go straight into a donation ben
for him.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
There is a silent auction.
Speaker 5 (10:55):
There's various items, paintings, a popcorn set, long cair services,
paint like house painting services, gift cards to you know,
Dave and Busters and uh seen seventy five and stuff
like that. A couple of local restaurants donated some like
free sub coupons, so you know, there's there's definitely things
(11:17):
in the Silent Auction realm.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
And then.
Speaker 5 (11:22):
Unfortunately our face painter that we had lined up isn't
able to do it.
Speaker 3 (11:27):
So I'm trying to scramble this last week.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
We need Yeah, and we will get the word out
about a face painter. You know how many face painters.
I'm sure someone Yeah will step forward, but You don't
have to register to go to this event. Anyone just
show up.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
At just show up and it's one to three for
the game.
Speaker 5 (11:46):
Before the O s U game, there's also a marching
band competition in Hilliard that night too, So if you're
out for the.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
The O m A Hilliard Invitational, you can marching. We
are a marching band fans.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
We just had a great good news story about the
band and the woman who got to dot the I
her parents both.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
Did did you hear that?
Speaker 4 (12:05):
Yes? Idea?
Speaker 3 (12:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
So Joel in closing, what do you want to say
to everybody listening? And do you believe that everything happens
for a reason? Are you strong in your faith? I
don't even know.
Speaker 4 (12:16):
I am. I am strong in my faith, and I
do believe that everything happens for a reason. And you know,
I I appreciate everything that everyone has done and said
and that kind of thing. And again I'm not I'm
(12:36):
not that person that looks for attention or asks for attention.
I just, you know, I just lived my life and
you know, just try to be the best person I
can be. And you know it. You know, it's it's
confusing as to why this has happened. I'm sure there's
(13:00):
something behind it. I don't know what, but here we are.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
There needs to be more jewels in this world, for sure,
there does, and so I know so many people are
supporting you through this. Thank you for stopping by, especially
after just kind of starting treatment. Really appreciate that.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
And keep us updated too, Yeah, please do.
Speaker 4 (13:18):
Thank you for having us on. We appreciate it very much.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
Twelve to three next Saturday at the Crook Account. Yes
Fantastic sound Waves for of Support benefit concert for Joel Custerson.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
Thanks you too, Yes, thank you so much. This is
what matters