Family takes this race one step at a time

By Barry Byers - Barry Byers

You've seen Brandon Hudgins many times around town, but most of you probably don't know him.

For years, he's been running the streets of Rock Hill, usually leading a pack of runners as they get in their daily workout.

He was a standout runner at Northwestern High School, most recently at Winthrop, where he's one of the Eagles' top distance runners.

He's tall and thin, with a mop of sandy-blond hair. If you haven't seen him, you might not get the chance for some time. Brandon has been diagnosed with Wegner's Granuloma, a rare disease that affects the immune system. At one time, it was limited to the sinuses and ears. It is not curable. It is treatable and is not life threatening if treated. It's not cancer, but is treated in the same way. Brandon begins taking chemo pills today.

Calvin Hudgins, Brandon's dad, said his son is in pain and is bloated, 15 pounds heavier than normal. But Brandon hasn't lost his sense of humor. He told his dad because of the swelling and the way he looks, he probably couldn't even get a sympathy date.

Frank Tice, who helps coach Northwestern track and cross country, said Brandon got sick and fainted three weeks ago. He was taken to Charleston and was admitted to the Medical University of South Carolina for further testing.

The preliminary results were good and Brandon is back home in Rock Hill, with more treatments coming in the next few weeks.

Calvin has coached and taught at Great Falls, Clover, Rock Hill and Northwestern and is well-liked in the running community. Tice is just one of many assistants on Calvin's staff at Northwestern, and it's easy to see why.

If Calvin is your friend, you have a friend for life. If he needs volunteers to help run a sporting event, he puts out a call and folks line up to help.

Calvin and his wife, Emily, have been put on hold. They've had to let their regular routines fall by the wayside for trips to Charleston and to look after Brandon, who is a lot like his dad.

In 2004, when Northwestern's boys won the state cross country championship Brandon's senior year, the other runners -- to a man -- said they did it for him. The only negative thing, they said, was Brandon didn't win the individual championship. He came in fourth.

Calvin is a proud man. He loves the kids he teaches and coaches. He loves his family. He nearly broke down that Saturday in November 2004 talking about how special it was to win a championship and share it with his son.

Lots of people know that Calvin played high school football in Charlotte with former San Francisco 49ers tight end Dwight Clark, that the two are still close friends and that their coach, Ron Wright, is an assistant at Northwestern.

What a lot of you might not know is that several years ago, Clark, in management at the time, offered Calvin a job in the NFL.

Calvin told me it was a hard decision to make, but after much thought he decided to stay at Northwestern. He wanted to stay with what he knows and loves rather than chasing the unknown, no matter how exciting it sounded.

That's Calvin. He's been the same since he was at Great Falls.

As you can guess, the medical expenses and buying gas for the trips back and forth to Charleston are putting a strain on Calvin and his family.

Tice, Becky McGinnis -- a former track and cross country mom -- and cross country moms Shirley Faircloth and Julie Cote have started a fund to help the Hudgins. And as if things couldn't get any tougher, Emily is having problems with her van. There's another son, Tyler, and a daughter, Callie, and the family can't fit into Calvin's compact pickup truck unless they draw straws to see who sits in the back.

They plan to present Calvin and his family the funds they raise next Wednesday. If you'd like to help, send a check to: Shirley Faircloth, 1489 Worthington Crossing, Rock Hill, S.C., 29732 or Julie Cote, 2671 Oakhurst Dr., Rock Hill, S.C., 29732.

Several years ago when I was hospitalized, Calvin, Frank and several of the moms had all the track athletes sign a card and made sure I got it. Still have it.

That's Calvin.

It's time for those whose lives Calvin have impacted to step forward. If the shoe were on the other foot, you can bet Calvin and Emily would.