Arthritis made it difficult for Todd Painton to walk as a youth, but he battled through it and was a starter on the Elizabethtown High School basketball team his senior season.
He was the first recruit for East Stroudsburg University head coach Sal Mentesana and assistant Jeff Wilson in 1988, and rewarded them by scoring 1,144 points and grabbing 703 rebounds in a college career that included 75 wins and a 1990 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championship.
Painton became a teacher and coach, leading a previously struggling Whitehall High School girls program to a 21-4 record and a Mountain Valley Conference title in 1999-2000.
He has stared adversity in the face many times and overcome it each time.
Now 42, the recent ESU Hall of Fame inductee is fighting for his life.
A rare form of ocular cancer is the current foe.
The husband, father of four children and grant writer and researcher for a faith-based nonprofit is exhausting all options.
Painton, of Wyomissing, Berks County, has had operations and chemotherapy, and has participated in multiple clinical trials. He has no vision in his right eye, and his lymph nodes, liver and other areas of his body have been damaged.
The five-year battle continues with no promise of Painton's winning. But he has remained as strong and upbeat as anyone could hope.
"There was a little bit of shock when it first happened," he admitted. "But I never waved a finger at God, never got angry. I just decided to strap on my sneakers, get in there and fight. That's always been my instinct."
Painton remembers feeling a lump in his right eyelid while rubbing it on a drive home from work in January 2008. He was diagnosed with ocular melanoma (not linked to sun exposure) and had a quarter-size tumor removed.
Radiation therapy followed. The first recurrence was in the summer of 2009, spreading that August to a lymph node and his liver. He then was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic melanoma.
Outlook: bleak.
Several malignant tumors in his lymph nodes were removed last winter and a new spot on his liver was found in June 2012. There also have been blood clots and a sensitivity to electronic devices along the way.
Most of his treatments have been at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia.
Painton was cleared last summer for a clinical trial of a drug that promises to help the autoimmune system detect cancer cells more effectively. But complications from a core liver biopsy delayed the start of the trial.
He lost 20 pounds and had problems with his pancreas and gall bladder.
At first it looked as if the trial drug wasn't working, as the tumor on his liver progressed. The most recent update has the tumor stabilized, perhaps in connection with a delayed reaction to the trial drug.
So, he now waits for word from his doctors at Jefferson as to the next step in what he hopes is a long recovery process.
"Cancer just doesn't affect the patients," he said. "It affects the family around them, the spouses, the children. [My wife, Susie] has had to go back to work, have more [family] responsibilities. It has taken its toll on everyone.
"For Susie, it's a challenge. I have been at calm with [the cancer]. I ask her sometimes to just sit with me or enjoy the kids. She's got to worry about getting the kids to soccer, football, our next meal. We're at totally different places."
Painton said the extended family — neighbors, church congregation, co-workers — have been such a tremendous help that the couple has gone months at a time without having to cook a meal.
Todd and Susie Painton both went to ESU but didn't cross paths until they were on a street corner in Honolulu — more than 5,000 miles from campus — during their sophomore year. Both were there as part of a basketball tournament. Susie was a cheerleader.
Fate brought them together.
Painton is hoping determination and faith will keep them together a lot longer.
HOT START: The Moravian women are off to the best start in team history. They took a 10-0 record into Wednesday's 12th annual Moravian Winter Classic at Johnston Hall. Coach Mary Beth Spirk's club is ranked 25th in the D3hoops.com and USA Today/WBCA top 25 polls.
Alexis Wright (17.4 points, 13.2 rebounds per game) leads the Greyhounds. Katie O'Rourke (14.0, 6.7), Danielle Brogan (11.5, 3.7), Amanda Kreuder (8.1, 3.4) and Laura Jordan (7.5, 6.2) are among other contributors.
Moravian (2-0 in league) returns to Landmark Conference action Saturday at Goucher. It will host Drew Wednesday before hosting unbeaten Catholic (11-0) on Jan. 12.
TOUGH STRETCH: The ESU men have a tough four-game stretch ahead, beginning Friday and Saturday when they host IUP and California. The Warriors' next four foes are a combined 14-4 in PSAC play.
ESU, the defending PSAC champion, is atop the East Division at 4-1, 7-2 overall. Coach Jeff Wilson's club leads the conference in turnover margin (plus-4.78).
The ESU women take a three-game PSAC winning streak into this weekend, just its third in the last six seasons.
Twitter @TomHousenick
ABOUT TODD PAINTON
Age: 42
Home: Wyomissing, Berks County
Family: Wife, Susie; children Luke, 12; Jacob, 11; Sarah, 9; and Hannah, 7
High school: Downingtown, Class of 1988
College: East Stroudsburg University, Class of 1993
Jobs: Girls basketball coach at Whitehall, 1999-2000; residential architecture; grant writer/researcher
Highlights: 1992 Co-Senior Athlete of the Year at ESU. … played in a program-record 117 games. … His 703 career rebounds are fifth-most in program history. … Led Whitehall to 21-4 record and a Mountain Valley Conference title in his only season there. … Inducted into ESU athletic hall of fame on Oct. 6, 2012.
Web site: http://www.paintonfamilyfund.com
AREA STANDINGS
MEN
PSAC
East Division
Team, PSAC, Overall
East Stroudsburg, 4-1, 7-2
Millersville, 4-1, 8-3
West Chester 3-2, 5-4
Kutztown, 2-3, 3-8
Cheyney, 2-3, 4-5
Mansfield, 1-4, 3-6
Bloomsburg 0-5, 2-7
Shippensburg, 0-5, 2-7
West Division
Indiana, 4-1, 8-1
Slippery Rock, 4-1, 7-2
Mercyhurst 3-2, 7-4
| California, 3-2, 4-5Gannon, 3-2, 9-2Edinboro, 3-2, 7-2Lock Haven, 2-3, 4-4Centennial ConferenceFranklin & Marshall, 5-0, 8-1Dickinson, 4-1, 9-3Muhlenberg, 3-2, 7-4Johns Hopkins, 3-2, 5-5Ursinus, 3-2, 5-7McDaniel, 2-3, 6-4Haverford, 2-3, 4-5Swarthmore, 2-3, 3-8Gettysburg, 1-4, 5-6Washington, 0-5, 0-11MACCommonwealth ConferenceLycoming, 5-0, 11-1Albright, 4-1, 10-1Arcadia, 3-2, 6-4Messiah, 3-2, 6-4Alvernia, 2-2, 7-2Lebanon Valley, 2-3, 4-7Widener, 2-3, 2-9Hood, 1-3, 7-4Stevenson, 1-4, 6-4Elizabethtown, 1-4, 2-7Freedom ConferenceDeSales, 2-0, 9-2Misericordia, 2-0, 6-5Manhattanville, 1-1, 7-5Delaware Valley, 1-1, 6-5King's, 1-1, 4-6FDU-Florham, 1-1, 3-7Wilkes, 0-2, 5-4Eastern, 0-2, 2-8Landmark ConferenceMoravian, 2-0, 6-2Catholic, 1-0, 10-1Goucher 1-0, 3-8Scranton, 1-1, 7-3Merchant Marine, 1-2, 7-4Drew, 0-1, 5-6Juniata, 0-1, 8-4Susquehanna, 0-1, 3-7 |
WOMEN
PSAC
East Division
Team, League, Overall
Millersville, 4-1, 7-2
Kutztown, 3-2, 5-4
East Stroudsburg, 3-2, 4-5
Bloomsburg, 3-2, 7-2
Shippensburg, 3-2, 7-3
West Chester, 2-3, 5-4
Mansfield, 1-4, 3-5
Cheyney, 0-5, 0-8
West Division
Gannon, 5-0, 11-1
Edinboro, 4-1, 7-2
Indiana, 4-1, 9-2
California, 3-2, 7-2
Clarion, 2-3, 5-5
Mercyhurst, 2-3, 2-7
Slippery Rock, 1-4, 2-7
Lock Haven, 0-5, 3-6
Centennial Conference
Swarthmore, 4-0, 7-1
Haverford, 5-1, 8-2
Muhlenberg, 4-1, 7-3
Washington, 4-2, 6-5
Gettysburg, 3-2, 4-4
Ursinus, 3-3, 6-4
Dickinson, 2-3, 6-3
McDaniel, 2-3, 5-4
Johns Hopkins, 2-5, 4-7
Franklin & Marshall, 1-4, 4-5
Bryn Mawr, 0-6, 1-8
MAC
Commonwealth Conference
Messiah, 5-0, 10-1
Lebanon Valley, 4-1, 9-2
Widener, 4-1, 9-3
Albright, 2-2, 6-4
Alvernia, 2-2, 4-3
Hood, 2-2, 4-6
Lycoming, 2-3, 2-8
Stevenson, 1-3, 4-3
Elizabethtown, 1-4, 2-6
Arcadia, 0-5, 6-5
Freedom Conference
FDU-Florham, 2-0, 9-1
Misercordia, 2-0, 5-3
Eastern, 2-0, 5-6
DeSales, 1-1, 6-4
King's, 1-1, 5-4
Wilkes- 0-2, 7-3
Manhattanville, 0-2, 6-4
Delaware Valley, 0-2, 4-6
Landmark Conference
Moravian, 2-0, 10-0
Scranton, 2-0, 10-3
Catholic, 1-0, 11-0
Merchant Marine, 1-2, 6-4
Drew, 0-1, 3-8
Goucher, 0-1, 4-6
Juniata, 0-1, 8-3
Susquehanna, 0-1, 4-7
Colonial States Athletic Conference
Cabrini, 3-0, 7-3
Gwynedd-Mercy, 3-0, 6-3
Rosemont, 3-0, 5-4
Marywood, 2-0, 5-4
Immaculata, 3-1, 4-8
Keystone, 2-1, 7-2
Neumann, 2-2, 3-6
Cedar Crest, 1-1, 2-8
Baptist Bible, 1-3, 1-8
Cairn, 0-3, 0-6
Centenary, 0-4, 2-10
Notre Dame-Md., 0-5, 0-9
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
MEN
Thursday
Moravian hosting 35th annual Greyhound Classic
DeSales at Haverford, 7
Friday
IUP at East Stroudsburg, 7:30
California at Kutztown, 7:30
Saturday
McDaniel at Muhlenberg, 4
Moravian at Goucher, 7
California at East Stroudsburg, 7:30
IUP at Kutztown, 7:30
Monday
Immaculata at Moravian, 7
Arcadia at DeSales, 8
Wednesday
Moravian at Drew, 7
DeSales at King's, 8
WOMEN
Thursday
Moravian hosting 12th annual Moravian Winter Classic
Friday
IUP at East Stroudsburg, 5:30
California at Kutztown, 5:30
Saturday
DeSales at Ursinus, 1
Cedar Crest at Notre Dame-Md., 1
McDaniel at Muhlenberg, 2
Moravian at Goucher, 5
California at East Stroudsburg, 5:30
IUP at Kutztown, 5:30
Monday
Gwynedd-Mercy at DeSales, 6
Cedar Crest at Baptist Bible, 6
Tuesday
F&M at Muhlenberg, 4
Wednesday
DeSales at King's, 6
Immaculata at Cedar Crest, 6
Drew at Moravian, 7
