BENNETT'S MINUTES: Local men battling cancer

Friday, December 2, 2016
Charlie Pingleton
Contributed photo/Lindsey Wilson College

Pingleton recovering again; Barrett raises money to aid families

Like everyone, I hate cancer.

I have been fortunate enough to avoid it for 54 years, but also like everyone I have still been affected by it.

My mother died from it, with the evil tumors withering her 5-foot-9 frame down to 64 pounds at the end. There were also numerous aunts and uncles.

My brother’s wife and my wife’s sister have both beaten it, but they know as well as anyone it sometimes returns.

A good friend in Terre Haute just buried his wife on Thursday; she had not yet reached her 50th birthday.

Most people have such a list. But this column isn’t about me. It’s about a local star athlete, and a longtime highly-successful coach who are fighting the dreaded disease in different ways.

Charlie Pingleton

Charlie Pingleton is not afraid of a battle. He has battled his entire life – mostly on the wrestling mat.

Now the former NAIA National Champion is in another battle – one against cancer.

“Charlie knows how to fight through adversity and conquer it better than most people,” Lindsey Wilson head wrestling coach Corey Ruff said. “When obstacles get in his way, he doesn’t complain about them – he finds a way around or through them.”

Pingleton became the first NAIA National Champion in Lindsey Wilson wrestling program history, capturing the national title at the 157-pound weight class during the 2011-12 season for the Kentucky school.

Charlie Pingleton receives his medal for winning the NAIA national wrestling championship.
Contributed photo/Lindsey Wilson College

The iconic photo of Pingleton’s celebration following his historic win was transformed into a silhouette that continues to be used today by the LWC wrestling program. That same season, he was named the Mid-South Conference Wrestler of the Year and finished his two-year career at Lindsey Wilson with a 34-12 record.

The Lindsey Wilson wrestling team has dedicated the 2016-17 season to Pingleton. The Blue Raiders will honor one of the pillars of the Lindsey Wilson wrestling program, by wearing a patch on their singlets with his initials, “CP” on them – debuted on Tuesday night in their dual match against Indiana Tech.

That match took place at Jeffersonville High School, which also plays a role in this story — as current Red Devil head wrestling coach Daniel Struck was Pingleton’s first-ever wrestling coach as a young student at Greencastle.

Pingleton posted a 167-9 record at Greencastle, and finished as the Indiana High School Athletic Association state runner-up in both 2003 and 2004.

Pingleton’s battle with brain cancer began more than a year ago. He had surgery a year ago to remove a tumor, and recovered from the surgery with flying colors — impressing his doctors with the speed of his recovery and ability to resume a normal life.

But a few weeks ago, Pingleton’s health began deteriorating, showing signs of fatigue, intense headaches, speech difficulties and overall weakness. Later during a checkup, it was discovered the tumor had returned and grown back even larger than before the initial surgical procedure. He was diagnosed with Stage 4 Glioblastoma, and the tumor was cancerous.

On Nov. 8, Pingleton once again had surgery to remove the tumor and doctors were able to successfully remove 90 percent. He now faces an even more strenuous and challenging recovery process, with months of speech and physical therapy alongside radiation and chemotherapy treatments.

During his recovery time, Pingleton, a six-year veteran of the National Guard, will be unable to work and provide income for his girlfriend Alyson and their two children. A GoFundMe page has been set up in his name to help with the medical costs and expenses of the family.

To learn more about Pingleton’s progress or to make a donation, visit the page at www.gofundme.com and search for “Cheering for Charlie.” His page is the first one listed in the search results; a link is also provided on bannergraphic.com.

Pingleton’s battle continues and, like always, he will fight. He will do so with the support of his loved ones as well has his Lindsey Wilson family – former teammates and current LWC wrestlers.

“He has the support of our institution, and specifically the wrestling program,” Ruff said. “Charlie loves our program and he’s been a big support to us since he left. We’ve always had reason to celebrate Charlie and he continues to inspire us all with his courage. I expect him to conquer the adversity he’s facing, but he’s going to need to lean on a lot of people to do it.”

Greg Barrett

The Vigo County native has coached football at North Putnam for eight years and has compiled a 57-34 record. He has also coached track and basketball.

His son, Patrick Stephen Barrett, passed away in March.

Barrett decided to do everything he could do to try to help solve this medical dilemma by raising money for the pediatric cancer unit of Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis under the name of “PS We Love You.”

Numerous coaches in the Wabash Valley Football Coaches Association, of which Barrett is the president, joined in and helped in a fundraising project that involved selling of T-shirts and numerous other creative fundraising avenues that gathered more than $28,000.

Greg Barrett
Banner Graphic/Joey Bennett

Barrett and the WVFCA presented Riley Hospital with the money on Wednesday, and it wasn’t at all surprising that more than a dozen colleagues took the day off and joined Barrett for the presentation ceremony and a tour of the hospital.

Coaches making the trip were Trent Olson from Sullivan, Jeff Cobb from West Vigo, Duane Potts of Owen Valley, Brian Oliver from Class A state champ Linton-Stockton, Tim Herrin from Terre Haute South, Chris Barrett (Greg’s brother) from Terre Haute North, Mike Meyer of Greencastle, Nathan Aker of South Putnam, Dave Pasch of Indianapolis Lutheran and Justin Pelley of Western Boone.

Mike Leonard, head coach at Franklin College, also participated in the event along with North Putnam assistant Randy Summers, Tom Jones of the WVFCA and Indiana State assistant athletic director John Sherman (Greg’s brother-in-law).

Barrett didn’t lead the tour, but he easily could have — considering how much time he has spent in the facility while his son was undergoing care.

Perhaps unlike any other sport, high school football coaches seem to have a brotherhood that brings them close together.

Barrett was just awestruck with the response from the coaching community, and agreed that the nature of the sport leads to the closeness of the combatants.

“There’s no doubt,” he said, in reference to the football coaching brotherhood’s bond. “Coach [Jeff] Cobb [of West Vigo] tweeted it out perfectly. He said, ‘We may be opponents on the field but are teammates against cancer!’ We are guys that on a Friday night want to beat the tar out of each other and came together to kick cancer’s butt.”

Barrett knows the project could not have been this successful without the WVFCA.

“The coaches association has been phenomenal,” he said. “It’s a great group of guys and we’re all friends. The bond between us as football coaches is really special.”

Barrett had a goal of $20,000 for the fund drive, and was thrilled with the final total.

“We were extremely excited,” he said. “We were pushing for $30,000, and almost got there. Our fund overall has raised more than $50,000 for this cause.”

Barrett said the money is specially targeted toward genome precision testing, a key element of the very expensive process that is not covered by insurance.

“These tests look at a patient’s DNA and figure out what kind of chemotherapy will kill the cancer cells,” he said. “Riley is the only research facility for children right now. We are fortunate to have it so close by.”

Results have already been positive from the “PS We Love You” fund.

“It just didn’t happen quick enough for us,” he said. “But it has already helped a few families and it’s pretty amazing.”

Patrick Barrett

Barrett said the tour and presentation from a Riley doctor were beneficial for the attendees.

“It kind of opened a lot of guys’ eyes,” he said. “We heard from the doctor in charge of pediatric care, and she was very appreciative of what we are doing.”

Barrett has even bigger hopes for next year.

“Our ultimate goal is to get it into the Indiana Football Coaches Association all over the state,” he said, noting a new six-figure goal when the program expands. “There are so many good, giving people out there who want to do good things.

“Football does that,” Barrett added. “That’s why football is the greatest sport out there, in my opinion, for teaching life lessons.The group of guys who got on board with me and spearheaded this big fundraiser are all really special.”

Members of the Wabash Valley Football Coaches Association tour Riley Children's Hospital in Indianapolis on Wednesday after delivering more than $28,000 raised to help families cover expenses not covered by insurance.
Contributed photo
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