For David Hastings, a discovery seven years ago changed his life.
“One day I was shaving and I noticed that I had a lump in my neck," Hastings said. "I didn’t have any pain associated with it or anything; it was just a lump.”
A month later it was still there. Many doctors and specialists and opinions followed.
Then the diagnosis of throat cancer came. It’s an ailment usually associated with elderly people, particularly those who smoke and drinkers.
Hastings was 58. He had neither smoked nor drank, and was in excellent shape.
His treatment included radiation therapy, which, for him, was the stuff of nightmares.
Hastings had to wear a mask that was screwed down on him on a table for the treatments.
“I had to go through the whole treatment, which is the most barbaric treatment I can imagine anyone going through,” Hastings said.
Hastings became obsessed at finding out the cause of his cancer. After much research on his own, he discovered it was HPV, the virus most often associated with women’s cervical cancer.
HPV is human papillomavirus, a virus that can cause warts. There are more than 100 varieties of HPV, some of which can lead to cancer, according to mayoclinic.com.
Hastings now takes every opportunity to talk about the danger to both women and men and about the HPV vaccine. He also organized annual free cancer screenings in Gulfport.
Al Davis had never met David Hastings until he went to the screening where he was diagnosed with throat cancer.
With David’s help and after undergoing treatment, Davis’ cancer is gone.
And when it comes to calling David being called a hero?
“Ah, you couldn't find a better term,” Davis said.
Healthy once again, David spends time with his wife Jo, both owners of the Habana Café, and two of their kids and rescue dogs Lamont and Buddy.
“If 100 percent of all males and all females get the Gardasil vaccination, it won’t be long that we have HPV as a threat,” Hastings said.