SAN ANTONIO, Texas — While San Antonians celebrated the winter holidays this past December with festivities and fellowship, KENS 5's resident food expert and eternally exuberant station staple, Marvin Hurst was having a different Christmastide experience, one much less celebratory in nature.
Just two days after Christmas, Hurst was diagnosed with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the throat.
Hurst, who has been a vital member of the KENS 5 family for more than 14 years, said that he feels 'fine' right now, and has been surrounded by his family since learning of the diagnosis, but also noted the outpouring of love from the citizens of San Antonio.
"The San Antonio community has always been here for me and supported me. Fourteen years later, they continue to do that. I will be always grateful for the love and support I receive," Hurst said.
Hurst added that since taking the news public on his Facebook page, he's received an outpouring of support from so many people, many who've been afflicted with cancer themselves. "There were three-time cancer survivors reaching out to me to offer me support."
Hurst is receiving treatment at the state of the art START Center for Cancer Care. Hurst said surgery was an option, but he and his doctors have decided to treat the cancer on the right side of his tonsil through chemo and radiation therapy.
Hurst said doctors told him this type of cancer is very common and treatable and has been on the rise in the African American community, specifically with the male population.
This statistic was just one of many things about cancer Hurst said he felt he was completely clueless about. "No one wakes up and expects to have cancer. No one plans this," Hurst said.
A natural born storyteller, Hurst said this got him thinking about others and how they might feel in the wake of a life-changing diagnosis: lost? scared? oblivious? alone? uninformed?
Hurst has decided to continue his pursuit of helping others by way of blog experience, aptly named 'Clueless with Cancer.'
"Telling my story is going to be the part I'm really excited about. For more than twenty years I've gone into people's homes where they shared stories with me, a lot of them incredibly tragic and sad more than good," Hurst said. "I always go in with respect, and much the same, I'll respect my own process now. That's where my mind is."
KENS 5 will release more information on how you can follow his journey as it is available.
