She didn’t need to write his last name. I knew it was Porter Sowards, an 11-year-old Middletown boy who was diagnosed with brain cancer last year, and according to Facebook posts, his health had deteriorated the last few weeks.
I walked out of the kitchen on Wednesday, and made my way into my home office. I turned on my work computer, but the stream of tears made the keys blurry. I pushed away from my desk and wept like a baby.
Cancer sucks, I kept thinking.
I was introduced to Porter in November 2021 when several people arranged for a surprise visit from three Star Wars characters in his Middletown home. Tim O’Sullivan, a Purple Heart recipient, and Joey Arielle volunteered their time to dress up as C3PO and Chewbacca and surprise the young Middletown boy.
It took three more people — Middletown police officer Jim Lusk and John Hart II and Condrey, members of Middletown-based Team Fastrax, a professional skydiving team — to carefully fit the costume and the wires that operate the lights and microphone around O’Sullivan.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Hart and Condrey presented Porter with several gifts from Team Fastrax, including an autographed poster, a Dreams of Fastrax certificate for an evening plane ride with his family, a body flight in an indoor wind tunnel and a commemorative coin that makes him “part of our team,” Condrey told him.
For about 15 minutes on that Friday night last year, as Porter asked C3PO questions and hugged Chewbacca and R2D2, he was just a kid living out a fantasy as his LEGO characters came to life. Cancer, at least on this night, took a back seat.
From that day forward, I followed Porter’s medical journey.
In 1990, I founded the McCrabb Open, a charity golf tournament that raises money for children with cancer. Money raised this year was supposed to grant a wish for Porter, his sister, Lola, 9, and his parents, Zach and Amy Sowards.
Porter told his mom he wanted a family vacation to LEGOLAND in Winter Haven, Fla.
I couldn’t wait for the McCrabb Open golfers to meet Porter. It’s one thing to donate money to an organization, but it’s much more powerful to meet the child behind the cause. Unfortunately, due to his failing health, Porter was unable to attend our after-golf party.
On Saturday, four days before his death, members of Berachah Church, where Porter’s family attend, held two prayer vigils at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Several times over the weekend, I prayed for a miracle.
Instead I got: “Porter passed away this morning.”
He was diagnosed with brain cancer on Sept. 17, 2021 after a CAT scan performed at Children’s Hospital Liberty Campus detected a tangerine size tumor. He had numerous surgeries and intensive chemotherapy treatments that were no match for the aggressive cancer.
“Over the last year we have watched our sweet boy suffer physically and mentally,” the family wrote. “But we have also watched the Lord use Porter to glorify Him. Seeing his story and courage touch hearts and watching his own heart stay tender as he walked his journey, never once complaining was beautiful.”
Since I was having difficulty coping with Porter’s death I called his pastor and my good friend, Lamar Ferrell, seeking answers why Porter — or any child for that matter — dies from cancer.
Ferrell didn’t disappoint.
“It doesn’t make earthly sense,” he told me over the phone. “I told the Lord, ‘I don’t understand it.’ He said, ‘Flip it. Stand under My love, stand under My grace, stand under My grace, My mercy.’”
Ferrell said the family was appreciative that the aggressive medications never robbed Porter of his appetite, his hair or his faith.
“We desperately miss him, but he’s not missing,” the pastor said. “Missing means you don’t know where it is. Heaven is the promise of the place where all tears are wiped away, where there is no more sadness, no more sorrow, no more trouble.”
Ferrell said it’s fitting that Porter loved playing with LEGOS.
“That’s a picture of his life,” he said. “He connected with people like LEGOS. He lived like a champion. He only lived 11 years, but he made a bigger impact than people who live a lot longer.”
GRAVESIDE SERVICES FOR PORTER SOWARDS
WHEN: 1 p.m. Tuesday
WHERE: Germantown Union Cemetery, 11177 W. Market St., Germantown.
ARRANGEMENTS: Dalton Funeral Home
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