Scott’s Long Road to Graduation Yields Valuable Lessons
By Lynn Stutheit
Andrew Scott has faced and accomplished much more than daily homework assignments and class attendance to earn his degree in Anthropology. During his 24 years of life he has endured more outside of the classroom than most students will in a lifetime.
Andrew was diagnosed with a brain tumor and accompanying hydrocephalus of the brain when he was 3 years old. "My mom knew right from the beginning that something was wrong because of the way I cried," he recalled. His parents were told there was "no hope" for removing the tumor. As a child in junior high school he went on a Make a Wish trip to New England. However, the Scott’s were not about to accept the diagnosis without a fight. Andrew’s mom, Kathleen Bailey said of the 'Poor' post-operative prognosis , "Don’t believe everything you read. I’d be damned if I was going to let someone else determine my child’s fate."
During a period of six long years Andrew underwent the strongest radiation treatment possible and five rounds of chemotherapy. "I was bald in the second grade and I was always very tired going to school. I had a catheter sticking out of my chest that was always good for show and tell," Andrew said. These are the few things he remembers of his days at school. "A lot of the time I was on so many drugs that I was sort of out of it." The constant support of his parents and their philosophy, "We have to get this done. We will just take one step at a time, "guided Andrew through the long ordeal . "We expected and, more or less, demanded of Andrew that he accomplish what his sisters and classmates did everyday. If he was sick from chemotherapy, he would have to take more medicine or a quick trip to the nurse’s office. If radiation was that day, well then he would go to school until it was time to leave for Denver. This all came with tons of love, crying when he wasn’t around, and repeated again the next day. You do what you can everyday to ensure surival of the frailest," Bailey said.
20 years after his diagnosis Andrew’s eyesight was failing and this initiated a new search for help. Thanks to medical advances, he found a doctor who could operate and remove the tumor. "You exhaust all medical options from chemotherapy to radiation, palliative care, non-traditional, and surgeries, and then one day, 20 years later, a doctor finds another doctor who says, 'Trust me, he’ll be alright. I’ll return him to you as good as he is today, but without the tumor,' and you believe because there is no other hope." Bailey recalled. Fortunately, that doctor was correct. "I heard when my family was told that the operation was successful the whole waiting room erupted in cheers and clapping." Andrew said.
As a CSU student, Andrew continued to face challenges resulting from the tumor. "It’s been kind of a progressive thing where I have realized over time that I have side effects such as memory and abstract reasoning problems, and doing math, and my reading isn’t the best. "He has lost vision in one eye and still takes several kinds of medicine. Yet, Andrew found ways to propel himself around and through these obstacles. The laid back student doesn’t usually tell people about his long period of struggles, because he wants to look ahead and enjoy things now. He is a friendly student who takes time to speak with his classmates and people surrounding him, a characteristic he said was honed by his awakening to what is important in life. His advice, "You just have to take life as it comes to you and deal with it. Don’t take things for granted." Andrew added, "I suppose my sense of humor helped me get thorugh this too." An example of this humor is evident when Andrew shows up each Halloween dressed from head to toe as a very old man. This is actualloy quite symbolic since Andrew is wise beyond his years as a result of his ordeal. Last winter, the Anthropology major walked more than a mile in the snow and cold packing an entire duffel bag of desk calendars to give away to his classmates and strangers. Why? Because he is that kind of person.
"I have really enjoyed the Anthropology Department. The professors are brilliant," said the new graduate who wants to pursue a career in criminal justice and possibly focus on forensic Anthropology. He will apply for the two-year online masters program at the University of Northern Colorado. He is also a photographer and has created his own business, AWS Photography.
20 years after a chilling diagnosis delivered with very little hope for any kind of future, Andrew’s family and friends will once again cheer for him when he receives his hard earned diploma next week.