‘It takes a community’: Murrells Inlet pastor reflects on cancer bout, miracle that ensued

Walter Cantwell has a view he often enjoys at his workplace, Belin Memorial United Methodist Church in Murrells Inlet, where he serves as assistant pastor.

The church is the fixture of one of the most picturesque settings in the Southeast, on the shore of the inlet, with massive, Spanish moss-draped oaks leading up to a seawall that overlooks the marsh grass and oyster banks of the saltwater estuary.

Next to the seawall is a huge cross that is the centerpiece of a waterfront garden, a favorite spot for visitors to reflect as well as a perfect photo op of the inlet.

“Something I get to see every Sunday morning is to look out over the inlet,” said Cantwell, who in November learned the form of cancer he had been diagnosed with was in remission. “I appreciate just how beautiful a place it is.”

While he has admired its beauty from the church’s narthex and on kayak trips with his wife, Christiana, the 34-year-old Cantwell had never experienced a fishing trip on the inlet. His fishing experience had been limited to freshwater excursions near his hometown of Aiken.

That changed in early November when Cantwell and his dad, John Cantwell, received an invite to go fishing with one of his parishioners — Garden City Beach resident Charlie Nash.

After all, November marks a time when the annual autumn bite of spotted seatrout along the South Carolina coast heats up.

The friendly fishing trip was in many ways a microcosm of the community, which comes together no matter how trying the times.

“Charlie invited me and I decided to try it out,” said Cantwell. “My dad also went with us, his first time on the inlet also. It just gives you a whole other perspective when you get out there and begin to see so many people can make their livelihood and they’re able to eat because of the abundance of fish that we have out there.”

Armed with light tackle rigged with adjustable slip floats, with live shrimp for bait, the trio headed out on the inlet in search of trout.

“It’s nice when you go fishing with someone who’s been visiting the inlet all his life, who’s spent day after day out there, because Charlie knew right where to take us,” said Cantwell. “He took us off the beaten path. He said the important part for trout fishing is the water needs to be fast-moving.

“Before you knew it our bobbers were going down and we were pulling in trout left and right,” said Cantwell. “My dad and I, since it was our first time out there, more than half the time the trout would come in and get our shrimp before we could (set the hook). We went through almost all of Charlie’s shrimp.”

Nash and the Cantwells wound up keeping eight trout including a nice 19-incher caught by Walter.

“I was really appreciative of Charlie inviting me out there, and I kind of got hooked,” said Cantwell. “I can’t wait to schedule my next fishing trip with him. Sometimes in life you really need someone to take you (fishing) who has gone before you and show you where to go and also where they live.

“The thing I appreciate about Charlie is he has this ability to look and take care of people and that’s what we do here on the inlet — look out, take care of people, be thankful for those who have impacted us and try to grab someone and make an impact on their life.”

The trio had such a grand time, Cantwell lost track of the time.

“Because the fish were biting so well, I wound up missing a church event because we stayed out on the water later than I was expecting,” Cantwell with a laugh. “But luckily my senior minister (Rev. Will Malambri) was forgiving.”

‘Cherish each day’

A little over five years ago, Cantwell received news that was devastating for a young man 29 years of age — he was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2014.

“When you receive the diagnosis that you have cancer and you’re not even 30 years old,” Cantwell said, pausing. “I was engaged, anticipating to be married within that coming year. Had my life in front of me and then you receive this news. Is life guaranteed? It was quite scary but I would not have been able to go through it without the support of my, now, wife, my dad, my church, my friends.”

Cantwell underwent surgery in August, 2014 followed by chemotherapy which was completed in October of that year. A follow-up visit to the doctor a few weeks ago, in mid-November, provided uplifting news — he was in full remission of the cancer.

“I went to the doctor and got the five-year all clear, which means for the oncology report, if you can make it past five years, they use the word remission, that it’s all behind,” said Cantwell. “It really takes a community that surrounds you to let you know there’s nothing that we face alone. Not only do we have our family, our friends and our loved ones but we do have our faith in the midst of the difficult and trying times.”

Cantwell receiving the “five year all clear” news in November is certainly appropriate.

Movember, a combination of the word moustache and the month of November, is an annual event during which men grow mustaches to raise awareness of men’s health issues including prostate cancer, testicular cancer and suicide. Cantwell shed some light on the testicular cancer he beat, and cancer in general.

“It’s a young man’s cancer, very rarely does anyone over the age of 35 get diagnosed with it,” said Cantwell. “Luckily it was also one of the first cancers that responded to chemotherapy treatment. Young guys back in the 70s were brave enough to enter into the trial treatment of it when they were diagnosed with it. That was one of the cancers that was kind of on the cutting edge to help us create chemotherapy as we know it.

“Now we’re so fortunate we not only have chemotherapy and radiation, but now we have brave individuals that are trying immunotherapy and all kinds of different treatments to help us win this battle against cancer.”

During the fishing trip with Nash and his dad, Cantwell reflected on his journey over the past five years.

“Thinking about this, I caught the big fish relatively early in the morning,” said Cantwell. “It was kind of cold, a little windy, a blustery day on the water. I caught the fish and when you catch one, you say you’re going to catch a lot of them. Then I just sat there and I waited and I waited.

“Thinking about it from that health angle, that every day is a gift. That’s the amazing thing about living down here, we have such a beautiful place and we don’t know how many days we have here on earth, here on the inlet. And that we need to cherish each day, cherish even if the fish are biting, if they’re not biting. Cherish the pretty (days), the ugly days here, the cold ones, the hot ones and everything in between.

“That’s something I have become more aware of in the last five years, is that in the blink of an eye, life can be past you.”

Walter and Christiana have an added blessing this Thanksgiving weekend, as Christmas approaches. The couple are expecting their first child within the next few weeks.

“This is a very special time,” said Cantwell. “What comes to my mind thinking about expecting our child is this is such a wonderful gift we have to be sharing this experience together. We’re looking forward to the next season in life and all the experiences we’ll be able to witness this child grow through. It truly is a joy.

“Nothing is ever guaranteed in this life and so you take every gift as a blessing and a miracle and you cherish it.”

This story was originally published November 30, 2019 at 4:37 PM.