LENEXA, Kan. — A Lenexa man battling cancer isn't letting chemotherapy stop him from supporting the Chiefs as they head to the Super Bowl.
Carl Walston found out he had colon cancer for the second time the day after Christmas. He was diagnosed the first time in 2018 and went through about six months of chemotherapy.
When he found out it was back and he would lose his hair from chemo, he got an idea.
"I said 'I'm going to lose my hair in style.' I said, 'I'm going to get Patrick Mahomes put on my hair,'" Walston said.
He found a barber who could do the job and told him what he wanted.
"He spent about ten minutes trying to look at what he wanted to do and measuring it out and seeing if he could get the shoulders in," Walston said.
He said there's a reason Mahomes has become a household name.
"The quarterback just by its nature obviously plays a key role on the team, but I think Patrick has something really special," Walston said. "He exudes leadership, and he just seems very level-headed, he seems like a team player."
Walston's son Henry said it's been a difficult past few weeks, but he admires his dad's outlook.
"I think it's great, you've got to make the best of your situation," Henry Walston said.
While the Mahomes haircut is a way to show support for the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, it serves another purpose. Walston did it with his coworkers in mind, hoping it would make them feel more comfortable.
"A lot of times people don't know how to respond when you share with them that you're going through a cancer journey," Walston said.
He said his journey can serve as a reminder to others.
"I think colon cancer screenings are really important for people to pay attention to that and listen to their bodies also," Walston said.
He has a piece of advice for anyone going through a similar battle.
"Embrace your friends and family," Walston said. "Embrace that love, accept it, accept the help, I think that's really critical, particularly if it's the first time."
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