While in the late stages of cancer, Bill Pressly of Crossville was told he had only a few months left to live. He defied his doctors’ expectations, and now, five years later, is considered a hero by the American Cancer Society.

Pressly, who survived stage four cancer, was recently named a Hero of Hope for 2009-’10 by the society’s mid-south division. He was one of 20 cancer survivors from six states – 90 nationwide – to be recognized.

“I was very humbled by it,” Pressly said about receiving the honor. “There are so many survivors just as deserving or more deserving than I am.”

The Heroes of Hope program, which is in its second year, is a survivorship initiative created to showcase exemplary involvement with the American Cancer Society and outstanding commitment to the fight against cancer.

“The Heroes of Hope program provides a highly visible symbol of personal victory over the disease, as well as encourages support and participation in the programs of the society,” said Gary Cornelius, a 2008 Hero of Hope and chair of the 2009 program.

Pressly was not only selected for his triumph over cancer, but for also making significant volunteer contributions to the American Cancer Society and making an impact in the lives of others.

As an honoree, he will share his story as a spokesperson for the American Cancer Society, representing the courageous struggle of all cancer patients as they deal with the physical and emotional aspects of their experience.

“Hearing their stories makes a statement that progress is being made in cancer research and that there is hope for the future for people who are diagnosed,” Cornelius stated.

Pressly believes people will be motivated by these stories.

“Too many times when you read about the war on cancer, you see numbers, you know, certain percentage of cancer deaths are down, this and that percentage changes,” he stated. “Well, the Heroes of Hope program recognizes that behind every one of those numbers there’s a face and a story…The war on cancer is not about numbers; it’s about people.”

Here is Pressly’s story.



The diagnosis

Pressly was diagnosed with cancer in November 2004, exactly one year after his wife, Calista, was diagnosed with breast cancer.

At the time, the prognosis was grim – he had stage four head and neck cancer, leaving him with about a 30 percent chance of surviving.

“It started in my tonsil and went into three different lymph nods in my neck,” explained Pressly, who pointed out that stage four is the most advanced type of cancer that you can have.

He immediately underwent simultaneous radiation and chemotherapy treatments as well as surgery to remove the tonsil. However, after all was completed, Pressly received what seemed like a death sentence in the spring of 2005. A series of CAT scans revealed spots in his lungs.

“I asked the doctors, ‘What do we do now?’ and they said, ‘Well, Bill, if it is in your lungs, you have about four to nine months left to live. There’s really no treatment, but you can pray,’” said Pressly, who was 55 years old at the time.

“But God had different plans for me,” he added.



The recovery

The doctors at MD Anderson, the world-renowned cancer center in Houston, TX, where Pressly underwent treatment, continued to check every month to see if the spots grew or multiplied. To their amazement, they did not.

“There were no new spots for a few months, and none of them grew, and it bewildered my doctors to be quite honest… If they were bewildered, they’re really bewildered because they’re the best of the best, especially for head and neck and thoracic types cancers,” said Pressly.

In the summer of 2005, he received good news – he was in “stable” condition. Today, he is happy to say that things remain the same.

“I just feel blessed… Lung cancer is fatal, and I had hundreds of spots in both lungs,” he said.



True calling

Shortly after Hurricane Katrina paid a visit to the Gulf Coast, Pressly and his wife moved from Mississippi to Crossville for retirement. They soon found themselves volunteering at the regional cancer center in town and helping other cancer patients.

“The scriptures tell us that we are to comfort others as we receive comfort in our time of trouble… and we felt like that would be a good way to do that,” he explained.

It was at the cancer center that the couple discovered just how much the American Cancer Society had played a role in both of their cancer treatments (doctors were able to catch Calista’s breast cancer early thanks to a mammogram, and after surgery and radiation, she has been doing great, Pressly noted.)

“The American Cancer Society has been involved in almost every cancer (treatment) advancement there is,” Pressly stated. “Without them, I and many, many others who have stage four cancers… we would not be living.”

They also noticed how much the organization did for the community by providing information about cancer and treatments, offering financial support and creating various support programs.

“(Then) it just hit me – I could do what I thought God had planned for me to do by saving me by aligning myself with the American Cancer Society and volunteering my time.”



Making a difference

His “first real involvement” came in advocacy, he noted.

“My doctors told me that my cancer was most likely caused by tobacco smoke, even though I had not smoked a cigarette in 35 years,” said Pressly, who smoked as a teenager and was surrounded by parents with the same habit. (His mother, a lifetime smoker, died at age 59 from emphysema.)

An American Cancer Society staffer heard Pressly’s story and asked him if he would join Smokefree Tennessee, a campaign dedicated to creating smoke-free workplaces for all Tennesseans. He agreed, and the experience showed him how a small group of dedicated people could make a difference, he noted.

“I’m proud of my contribution to the Smokefree Tennessee Campaign,” he said. “I think we made a huge difference advocating to get rid of smoking in the workplace and public places… We were told that it wasn’t going to happen in Tennessee, and we succeeded.”

Since then, Pressly has volunteered in different capacities for the American Cancer Society.

Both he and his wife are team members for Relay for Life, the society’s signature event. In addition, he is a member of the society’s Cancer Action Network, a sister organization responsible for advocacy. As a volunteer, Pressly helps lobby for bills that would benefit the war on cancer. Most recently, he met with both local senators and Congressman Lincoln Davis’ staff in Washington, D.C., to discuss health reform.

Even though cancer touches so many lives, Pressly believes they are winning the war. He pointed out that 560,000 people are estimated to die from cancer this year alone, but 60 percent of cancer deaths are preventable thanks to current medical knowledge.

“I like to think that I and other cancer volunteers are making a difference in trying to reduce that number and eliminating cancer eventually and improving the lives of those facing cancer now,” he said.



Looking forward to birthdays

Until that time comes when cancer ceases to exist, Pressly advises those facing the disease to never give up hope.

“Turn the worries and the fears over to God and let him worry about those and just concentrate on getting through your treatments and looking forward to birthdays,” he said.

That is exactly what he did. Recently, he celebrated his 60th birthday.

“Which is huge for me because my mother died at age 59, and she really wanted to make 60,” he said. “And, of course, when I had my cancer, I didn’t think I would come even close to 60.”

For his birthday, his grandson, Tru, led his family in singing “Happy Birthday” and he got to high-five his granddaughter, Koey.

“It was just a very special moment to know that I had more birthdays coming,” he said