The Bob Leslie Story
This morning I sat down to write about oral cancer awareness.
I realize oral cancer gets its share of space around here and I was a little concerned about my maybe just going through the motions. I think I was also feeling self-conscious about being repetitious or perhaps just a bit short on material.
When I started out writing for the Weekly I really didn’t like my chances for coming up with a topic every single week. I wondered exactly what was in store for the readers after about Week Eight. I soon developed a routine or ritual where I would go see a movie Friday afternoon and then write the article. Something about being moved by what I saw on the big screen (if I wasn’t moved, I rented a favorite that would do the job) inspired me to look at the past week with a fresher perspective. This morning was sort of like Week Seven…until I remembered a certain video.
Back in early 2001 I had the opportunity to listen to baseball Hall of Fame announcer Joe Garagiola speak about major league baseball and one ugly aspect of its culture. Joe was speaking to about 2,000 dentists and dental team members, asking for their help in creating greater awareness of oral cancer and its link with smokeless or spit tobacco. Joe was very passionate in communicating his vision of preventing a deadly cancer that had claimed the lives of friends and former teammates; he definitely had our attention. Then he played a video.
The video I first saw almost 5 years ago and then again this morning is called “Tragic Choice: The Bob Leslie Story”.
The 10-minute film begins with Bob Leslie sharing his boyhood thoughts regarding what it would take for him to grow into an athlete and a strong, capable man. A 12 year-old Leslie was fascinated by the round tin container most major leaguers carried around in their uniform back pocket. A young Bob Leslie always wondered, “What is it? What’s in there? Is it the difference?”
Bob Leslie began using spit tobacco when he was only twelve and continued using it into his mid-20s. Couldn’t have been that bad; back in the ‘80s, marquee professional athletes actually endorsed the stuff on network television. Besides, Bob was an athlete and the picture of clean-cut wholesome health.
Five months after quitting spit tobacco, Leslie, then a high school baseball coach, was diagnosed with oral cancer. A lesion was discovered inside his lower lip and in the exact location where he had held his spit tobacco for 14 years. Bob, who had married his high school sweetheart; was diagnosed with oral cancer just before learning he was going to be a dad.
The treatment for oral cancer can be extremely invasive and disfiguring. In Bob Leslie’s case, it meant the removal of his chin and lower teeth. When asked by Garagiola about when he was most aware of his cancer, Leslie replied, “…when I wake up in the morning I realize it’s still there. When I look into the mirror…” He added, “At night… when I look over at my wife, I wonder just how many more times this will be possible.”
When the invasive surgery was performed a second even more crushing diagnosis followed. The cancer had grown out into tissue and up through a nerve to the base of Bob’s skull and brain. On hearing the bad news Leslie put in calls to friends and family asking for their support in helping his wife and daughter after he was gone. Bob Leslie was 27.
Bob was thankful for the 6 months he’d shared with his new daughter; he was committed to making a difference for others; he was determined to help save some lives. Working with Joe Garagiola, Bob made a video. Dare you to watch it.
After surviving several painful years, Bob Leslie died some 5 months short of his 32nd birthday.
I keep seeing the image of Bob Leslie as the 12 year-old who wanted to be a major leaguer. I wonder how many of us could have been Bob Leslie?
Oral cancer is serious stuff. Bob Leslie died within 5 years of diagnosis; the 5-year survival rate of about 50% for oral cancer is less than that of breast cancer, prostate cancer and colorectal cancer. Oral cancer is the only cancer not to decline in its incidence over the last 40 years. One American dies of oral cancer every hour. 25% of the 30,000 Americans diagnosed with oral cancer every year do not smoke, drink alcohol excessively, or use spit tobacco. In the U.S., only 14% of the population knows they’ve ever had an oral cancer exam.
Even though we don’t think of Southern California as a place where people use spit tobacco, some personal connection is made each time I speak and most of the time when I’m just doing an oral cancer exam in the office. Feel free to call for information any time.
October 8th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
I am a dental hygienist in W.Va. the story of Bob Leslie is very sad yet moving-I feel this video has more credibility for helping people to quit spit. It gets across to people the sad truth. My heart goes out to his family. They will always be in my prayers and Bob Leslie is getting his message across. -thank you so much.