Kentucky man who plays Santa Claus loses beard amid terminal cancer fight: ‘In good spirits’

His beard could also be gone, however Walt Queen remains to be Santa at coronary heart. 

Queen, 78, – referred to as Santa Walt – has been taking part in Santa Claus for the final 15 years within the Louisville, Kentucky, space. His jolly face and lengthy white beard have made him one of many best-known Santas within the space. 

Nonetheless, Queen lately shaved off his beard amid his combat with stage 4 most cancers.

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Queen mentioned that on the finish of final yr, he was identified with smooth tissue sarcoma, a uncommon type of most cancers that may begin within the muscle, fats, blood vessels, nerves, tendons or lining of joints, based on the Mayo Clinic. 

By the point medical doctors caught the most cancers in Queen, it had unfold all through his physique, Queen mentioned.

Queen underwent two rounds of chemotherapy that put him in “such dangerous form” that he needed to spend 4 days in intensive care, Queen advised Fox Information Digital. 

Fortunately, Queen mentioned he’s been feeling significantly better.

“I’m in good spirits and I’m simply bodily sturdy and able to cope with this factor, whether or not it may be destroyed or whether or not I simply go into remission, I’m ready for both a kind of,” Queen advised Fox Information Digital on Monday.

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For the reason that negative effects of chemo brought about Queen’s beard to begin falling out in clumps, he determined to have it shaved off on Jan. 18. Earlier than that, he had his beard for at the very least 45 years, if not longer, Queen advised Fox.

Queen mentioned he had already anticipated shaving the beard to “make a clear break” and to keep away from strolling round with “one thing scraggly.”

“We thought it will be simpler on my grandkids, too, if we did that,” Queen mentioned. “They thought it was actually humorous to see me with no beard.”

As a result of he had already anticipated to lose the beard, Queen mentioned it wasn’t too tough to have it shaved off.

“My wife actually summed it up nicely,” Queen mentioned. “She mentioned, ‘Man sees your beard, God sees your coronary heart.’ And due to that, I used to be at peace about it. It actually was not a giant deal as a result of I knew that that was going to occur once I had the chemotherapy, so I used to be ready for it emotionally.”

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Throughout his most cancers combat, Queen mentioned he has relied on his religion – one thing he needed to depend on in August 1989, when two of his daughters have been killed in a automotive crash.

“It was at that time I needed to decide, would I’m going on and proceed to reside a lifetime of religion and reside a life stuffed with hope and the enjoyment of the Lord, or simply hand over,” Queen mentioned. “I selected the life of religion and hope and pleasure.”

Queen has continued to make that alternative, even now.

“I really feel a robust calling for my life to speak to different folks about hope,” Queen mentioned. “To only share with them that there’s a hope, there’s an everlasting hope. It’s there, and it’s obtainable to you.”

“That’s what drives me, that’s what retains me going day-to-day,” he added. “Preserving my head up, holding my spirits up. And whatever the consequence of my most cancers, I’m ready for no matter comes down the pike.”

 

Earlier than he turned Santa, Queen mentioned he “had no intention” of donning the purple go well with and hat at Christmastime, though he had a white beard. That modified when a good friend approached him about 15 years in the past asking Queen to ship a pet to his daughter. 

Queen objected at first and mentioned he didn’t have the costume, however his good friend purchased him one and “goaded” Queen to delivering the pet. 

Queen mentioned he nonetheless remembers driving to his good friend’s home and knocking on the entrance door, which was answered by his good friend’s daughter. 

“When she noticed me, it was magical,” Queen mentioned. “The look in her eye when she noticed me and noticed that pet, it was simply greater than I may deal with emotionally.”

After his go to, Queen mentioned he known as his wife within the automotive on the way in which house. 

“I mentioned, ‘Effectively, I’ve acquired a brand new profession. I’m going to be a Santa Claus,’” Queen mentioned.

 

Whitney Kamann, Queen’s enterprise supervisor and shut good friend, advised Fox Information Digital that it’s been powerful seeing Queen’s battle with most cancers.

“He’s type of just like the grandfather that I by no means had,” Kamann mentioned. “As with every member of the family or shut good friend that you just watch undergo one thing, it’s very, very tough. Our hearts and our love is with him on a regular basis. However Walt and I speak quite a bit and we’re staying constructive and optimistic. We’re planning for the longer term each likelihood that we get.”

Kamann arrange a GoFundMe titled, “Elf Whitney’s fundraiser for Santa Walt,” to assist Queen along with his medical payments, significantly to ensure his wife Barbara isn’t left in debt if Queen dies.

Queen mentioned that though it’s been a protracted journey, now that he’s off chemo and on a brand new medicine, his beard has already began to develop again. 

“Who is aware of,” he mentioned. “I may have a beard – I’m certain it received’t be so long as it was earlier than we shaved it off – however I may have a beard lengthy sufficient to…do some Santa visits.”

“So long as I’m bodily in a position, it’s my intention to proceed to unfold the enjoyment of Christmas to the children,” he added.