Beating Cancer
The healing power of community can make a difference
ment, he felt determined to battle cancer on his own. “I can take this,” he thought. “I’ve been through a lot worse.”
Five weeks in, he was responding well enough to the radiation treatment that his doctor suggested increasing the intensity to try to eliminate the cancer altogether. Enthusiastic about the news, Farst responded, “Bring it, guys.”
After day one of the new treatment, Farst says he remembers being able to “smell the flesh in my throat burning.” The next day, he awoke to find he had lost the ability to swallow. Luckily, he notes, “I never lost my voice.”
Despite the nausea from chemotherapy and the intense pain from radiation, Farst continued driving to his daily treatments. One day while on his way home, he remembers struggling to figure out how fast he was going. “It felt like I was driving drunk,” he says.
He pulled into his driveway and was greeted by neighbor Sandy Tannenbaum. Upon realizing Farst had been driving himself to his appointments, Tannenbaum declared it was time to “call a team meeting.”
Tannenbaum reached out to local residents and organized a calendar so
friends, neighbors and even strangers could help drive Farst. People who he never expected showed up at his door—always on time—and were there for him, without him having to ask. For Farst, “It was a blessing.”
After his therapy ended, Farst was forced to rely on a feeding tube. He lost nearly 80 pounds in the span of a few months and was struggling with his fate. “I truly thought I was going to die,” he explains.
But with the help of the Sanibel-Captiva community, Farst kept fighting. His longtime friend Billy Kirkland set up a fund through local social services agency F.I.S.H., which raised more than $18,000 to help with Farst’s medical expenses.
During his difficult path to recovery, Farst says he “never felt alone.” He recalls his surprise when letters arrived from people he’d never met. More and more letters filled his mailbox, all from community members who’d heard through their churches about Farst’s cancer battle and were touched by his story. He began pinning the cards to the walls of his bedroom, until one day, all four walls were nearly covered from floor to ceiling in heartfelt messages of support, prayer and hope for a safe recovery.
Today, Farst has been cancer-free for more than five years. He continues to pursue his passions for scuba diving and adven
ture, and directs documentaries about the history of Sanibel and Captiva, the communities and the people. He has also shared his story while sailing around the world as a motivational speaker for Celebrity Cruises. In every talk, he’d mention “how fortunate I am to have a voice after throat cancer.”
When he picked up the phone on that December day and was told he might not survive, Farst remembers feeling petrified. No matter how many feet deep he dove in the ocean, or how many sharks he fought off, no feeling of fear compared to receiving what felt like a death sentence. But his experience with cancer showed him that the greatest feat can only be accomplished with a little help from those who care.
While reflecting on his life as a cave diver, Farst says, “It’s the teamwork that has made my career successful.” In the same vein, he adds, “It has taken a community to heal me from cancer.”
In addition to those mentioned above, Rusty would like to thank Steve Farst, Nikki Rood, Dr. Brian Healey and Sean Swaney for their support during his recovery. Francesca Block is a resident of Sanibel Island and a current student at Princeton University, studying journalism, public affairs, international relations and Chinese.