NORTHFIELD — The last several months have been a roller-coaster ride for John Bade.
Bade, who turns 48 this month, is a teacher at Northfield Middle School. He was recently nominated as one of 10 finalists in Minnesota for the Teacher of the Year Award.
Back on Jan. 18, everything changed in Bade’s life. He was diagnosed with rectal cancer, a disease that normally doesn’t occur in adult males until they are over the age of 50.
For the last four years, Sam Wold, a teacher at Northfield High School, has organized a basketball game featuring NHS students against faculty. While the game is about competition and fun, it’s also about raising money and awareness for cancer research.
Wold lost his father, Mickey, to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma back when he was in college. The students will face the faculty for the fifth time Tuesday night, and all proceeds from the game will go to Bade’s battle with cancer.
“We always do it for a family in need or for cancer research,” Wold said. “The game popularity has grown exponentially in the last couple years. The unfortunate thing is that every year in Northfield, somebody is dealing with cancer. Most of the students at the high school have had him as a teacher, so it’s always good to help somebody in need.”
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Students vs. Faculty basketball game (a benefit for John Bade)
WHEN: 7 p.m. Tuesday
WHERE: Northfield High School gymnasium
COST: $3 at door, other donations are encouraged
“When people give like that, it’s a rather humbling experience,” Bade said. “It’s overwhelming that they would do this for me. It’s very touching and it’s very moving that people are willing to dedicate an evening to you.”
Bade immediately went into treatment following his diagnosis, and some complications put him in the hospital for 10 days. He had nine more sessions of radiation and chemotherapy left, but found out on Wednesday that those will stop and he will proceed to surgery. The good news is that the cancer was found early enough that Bade is expected to make a full recovery.
Bade said that, in his surgery, doctors will go in and remove the piece where the tumor is. Six months of follow-up chemotherapy will come after that.
“Whenever you hear cancer, it kind of freaks you out,” Bade said. “You jump to the most negative conclusions, and that is people you’ve known that have had it and not survived. This is a type that’s very survivable and curable.”
Bade and his wife, Elizabeth, also have two sons. One is a junior at NHS, while the other is in sixth grade. The most visible effect of the cancer is that Bade has lost about 20 pounds since his diagnosis.
He is also one of 10 finalists for Minnesota’s Teacher of the Year Award, but he said that due to his medical situation, he has pulled out of the running for it.
“There’s quite an extensive obligation if you’re selected,” Bade said. “With all the things I’m going through medically, there’s no way I could fulfill that obligation. I’m still a finalist, but I won’t be a part of the final run. I’ve pulled out of it.”
On Tuesday, the Northfield community gets its chance to help Bade in his fight. NHS students will face their faculty in the fifth annual basketball game. The cost will be $3 at the door, and donations are encouraged. Fans can also sponsor a teacher and contribute a monetary amount based on how many points they score in the game.
The faculty has a 3-1 lead in the series heading into the fifth game. The students got their first win last year in a close game. That game was played in honor of Jim Penning, an NHS junior who is battling Ewing’s Sarcoma. It raised $2,700 for his cause. He will toss the jump-ball to start Tuesday’s game.
“It’s a fun game in general... I mean, how often do you get to see your faculty run around and make a fool of themselves?,” said Sam Weaver, a junior at NHS on the student council who is helping organize the event. “It’s fun, and it’s really helpful to have that person that you know you’re all rallying for together.”
Bade said the outreach for his situation has been amazing.
“We’ve had such unbelievable support in the community,” Bade said. “People in various ways have been so gracious and so generous with their time and support. That really helps, and things like this basketball game really help lift your spirit.”
“The part that makes it so powerful is that we’re doing it for people that we know,” Weaver said. “He’s kind of the teacher that everyone tried to weasel their way around and get classes with. Being able to put this game on to help him, he’s somebody that everyone loves. It makes it a lot more personal for all of us.”
— Jeff Wald can be reached at 645-1111 or jwald@northfieldnews.com.
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