Trussville family hit twice by cancer now participating in Relay For Life

TRUSSVILLE — In February of 2015, Phillip Acton got some of the most devastating news a father can receive: his 12-year-old daughter, Callie, had cancer.

Callie had noticed a lump on the side of her neck, and after a check-in with their pediatrician, the Acton family was soon referred to Children’s Hospital for a CT scan, biopsies and ultrasounds.

On February 13, Callie was officially diagnosed with cancer.

Trussville family hit twice by cancer now participating in Relay For Life

She immediately started chemotherapy, which she consistently did until May of 2015. Following chemotherapy, Callie completed 28 rounds of radiation, while simultaneously getting additional chemotherapy all the way through October of 2015. After a brief stint in treatment, she picked radiation back up and had her last day of treatment on November 6, when the Acton family finally got to receive the two words they’d been longing to hear: cancer free.

“Now we’re on a scan schedule that lets us know we’re still cancer free,” said Phillip. Callie had her most recent scan on April 13, which also came back clean.

Phillip, however, hasn’t been so lucky.

“A lot of people felt ‘sorry’ for me because I am now fighting cancer,” said Phillip. “They don’t need to, because I prayed for 9.5 months to take that burden from Callie. If God chose to move it from her body to mine, I’m at peace with that.”

When the Acton family went for Callie’s checkup in January, Phillip went in for his own three days later, and found out he had bladder cancer.

“We were shocked, to say the least, after everything we’ve been through,” Phillip said. “Although, she had a whole lot harder of a road than I did.”

Regardless of there being two members of the Acton family that got diagnosed with cancer in an 11-month span of time, the family’s outlook remains positive. Phillip has one more round of treatment before he’ll be able to enter remission alongside his daughter.

Father and daughter Phillip and Callie Acton have both been diagnosed with cancer in the last year. Callie is in remission and Phillip is almost done with treatment. (Submitted photo)

“Hearing I had cancer was tough, but nothing like hearing my little girl had cancer,” said Phillip. “As the daddy you’re supposed to protect your kids, and there’s some things you can’t protect them from.”

Phillip said more than anything, he and his family are thankful for the support of the Trussville community through both diagnoses.

“You show up home and your grass is cut and there’s food on the table,” said Phillip. “Little things have meant a lot to us this past year.”

After two bouts with cancer in less than a year, Trussville’s Relay For Life reached out to the Acton family to have them play a special part in this year’s event.

“They felt the need to reach out to us because our family was hit twice with cancer in a short amount of time,” Phillip said. “We talked and decided we’d be happy to help raise awareness for cancer research.”

Trussville’s annual Relay For Life will take place at Spare Time Bowling on April 22, with festivities kicking off at 4:30 p.m. There will be activities for all ages, food, music and more, all the while raising money for the American Cancer Society.