Sweetness - snapshots - Walter Payton

Better Nutrition, Jan, 2003 by Jerry Shaver

"Walter had a special way of touching people," says Connie Payton of her late husband. "He was about really making a difference in other people's lives. So in my eyes, he was the greatest--not for what he did on the football field, but for the kind of human being he was."

What he did on the field, however, was pretty amazing.

For 13 seasons, Walter "Sweetness" Payton wore number 34 for the Chicago Bears. Despite standing a relatively diminutive 5'10", he became known as one of the most powerful running backs in NFL history--a gutsy player who would lower his shoulder and run through opponents nearly twice his size.

During his career, Payton scored 110 touchdowns, amassed a then-record 16,726 rushing yards and led his team to a championship in Super Bowl XX. When he retired following the 1987 season, he held or shared seven all-time NFL records. He was elected to the Hall of Fame on his first ballot in 1993.

But six years later--in February 1999--fans saw a very different man. The powerful ex-running back was gone. In his place stood a thin, frail, visibly weakened Walter Payton announcing that he'd contracted a rare form of liver cancer.

Payton began a series of treatments, but nothing seemed to help. Worse yet, the cure proved as devastating as the disease. "At that time, Walter wasn't able to eat anything because he was on so much medication," says Connie. "He didn't even know the time of day."

Things began to change, however, when a friend invited Connie to attend a seminar offered by Patrick Quillin, PhD, Director of Nutrition for the Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA). "When Dr. Quillin explained that most cancer patients die from malnutrition and dehydration, I realized that that's what was happening to Walter, and that we needed to get him out of bed and get him some food," Connie says. "It made so much sense when I heard this doctor talk about nutrition, and I thought, `I've got to do something for my husband.'"

Inspired by the seminar, Connie moved her husband to a CTCA hospital where he began receiving a different type of treatment. Doctors at the center regulated Payton's medication and added a program of nutrition, vitamins and exercise.

"They treated him in ways that we hadn't been exposed to, and it really made a difference," says Connie. "It got him out of bed. It enabled him to spend time with family and friends. It was wonderful to have him be himself again, to be able to hold a conversation with him, to see him laugh and smile and enjoy his last days--well, it was a couple of months, really, because it made that much of a difference."

Although Payton ultimately succumbed to the disease in November 1999 at the age of 45, the holistic care he received through CTCA led Connie to found the Walter Payton Cancer Fund (WPCF). Working with the CTCA, the WPCF funds traditional types of cancer research, but it focuses primarily on complementary treatments--including nutrition, vitamins, herbal supplements, acupuncture and spirituality. "You've got to treat the whole person--mind, body and spirit," says Connie. "It makes all the difference in the world. So research in those areas--especially spirituality--is important to me because people who are spiritually nourished fare better when dealing with a terminal illness."

The fund contributes no money toward animal testing, concentrating instead on clinical trials using human volunteers. "We want research that's clinical, that's proven," Connie says. "And we look for ways to improve these treatments or to find complementary therapies that can help them work even better."

In addition to working with the WPCF, Connie is the author of Stronger Than Cancer, a collection of messages from people who have struggled with the disease. "I wanted to share a little bit of my story and have other people share theirs," she says, "because it's meaningful to hear from people who've experienced what you're going through."

Whether raising money for the fund or speaking to the families of cancer patients, Connie throws herself into her work with the same never-say-die attitude that her husband displayed on the field. "I want to inspire people and give them hope," she says. "Make the most of every day. Stay positive. Encourage each other--and never give up. Never give up."

Stronger Than Cancer is available at bookstores everywhere. Portions of the proceeds go to support the Walter Payton Cancer Fund. For more information about the WPCF, visit payton34.org online.