Airman recovers from cancer, rejoins Air Force Band

  • Published
  • By LaDonna Bowen
  • 11th Wing Public Affairs
BOLLING AIR FORCE BASE, D.C. (AFPN) --  At U.S. Air Force Band headquarters here, his locker remained just the way he left it three years ago.

Inside the locker were performance uniforms starched and pressed, ready for what could very well have been another gig at the private residence of the vice president, laundry that would have been sent to the dry cleaners the next day, a bottle of what used to be his brand of shampoo, and his favorite, though dirty, personal coffee mug.

It was a sight that provoked emotion for Master Sgt. Mitchell Morton, a pianist with the band, who, after being medically retired in August 2001, recently rejoined the band on active duty.

“It was as if (fellow band members) knew I would return one day,” Sergeant Morton said with a look of discernment. “My co-workers are the best. They tell me it became known as the ‘Mitch Morton Memorial Locker.’”

He said because of the “shrine,” even Airmen new to the band recognize his name. Many of them had heard the story of how one summer afternoon, during a church softball game, Sergeant Morton collided with another player and was rushed to a Maryland hospital with a mild concussion. Routine tests revealed a massive amount of blood collecting in his brain, indicating that his injuries were more serious than previously thought.

Quickly, doctors performed extensive blood tests to determine the cause, he said. The tests revealed that he had a type of blood disease -- a rare form of leukemia.

The sergeant had acute promyelocytic leukemia or “APL,” which is the rapid accumulation of abnormal white blood cells in the bone marrow and the blood, resulting in anemia, bleeding and susceptibility to infection.

According to clinical studies, about 10 percent of leukemia patients have this form of cancer. Even with standard chemotherapy plus a vitamin A-based treatment, less than 80 percent of patients survive more than five years.

After the discovery that he was a servicemember, Sergeant Morton was transferred to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington where doctors immediately began the chemotherapy process.

“The chemo was the right one for the disease, but it was the wrong one for my body,” said Sergeant Morton, who suffered an uncommon allergic reaction to the treatment that landed him in the hospital’s intensive care unit.

He said the disease and chemo should have done him in. In fact, at one point, doctors counseled his family that death was imminent. One night they suggested family members come to say their final goodbyes. With the hopes of modern medicine dwindling, his family relied solely on their faith and gathered by his bedside through the night in prayer.

“It might have been at this point that the request went out to the band stating that (Sergeant Morton) needed platelets,” said fellow band member Senior Master Sgt. Angela Williams in a solemn voice. “Another band member and I went together to give. It was scary.”

Against all odds, Sergeant Morton survived the night, prompting his doctors to take a chance on an alternative, yet experimental form of treatment. Considered to be an ideal candidate for this new remedy because of his initial reaction to the chemotherapy, Sergeant Morton immediately underwent arsenic trioxide treatment.

More widely known as the key ingredient in detergents used to exterminate pesky vermin, arsenic compounds were used in ancient Chinese and Roman medicine for thousands of years.

Recently approved by the Federal Drug Administration, this unique form of cancer therapy has become the No. 1 new treatment today for APL.

“I was the first person in the military to receive it,” Sergeant Morton said.

In the weeks that followed, Sergeant Morton received numerous letters, visits and phone calls from family, friends and people who had merely heard of him. He received so many, in fact, that the nurses on his floor thought he was someone “really important,” he said.

Two weeks into the treatment, his visits were interrupted as the nation came to grips with the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.

It was a long and lonely 48 hours, said Sergeant Morton, who firmly believes his recovery was a direct result of the support and thousands of prayers he received.

Nearly three months after his initial emergency room visit, Sergeant Morton was released from the hospital to begin his new life as a civilian.

Looking back, Sergeant Morton said he ignored the bouts of fatigue and minor wounds that may have been signs something was wrong before the initial accident.

Over the next couple years, Sergeant Morton’s health improved, and his final arsenic treatment was administered in April 2004.

He said that at the time of his last treatment, he was, of course, feeling much better but constantly felt like there was something missing in his life.

That is, until the day he came across an article in the band’s newsletter, “Cadenza,” on the rebirth of Silver Wings, the band’s country and western ensemble.

“I was part of the panel responsible for reviewing his case and getting the wheels in motion to bring him back,” Sergeant Williams said proudly. She is the lead vocalist for the group. She and Sergeant Morton started on the same track 11 years ago and have remained close friends.

Now, officially back on active duty, Sergeant Morton said his comeback has had its share of frustration and red tape, but, overall, he is excited about being back.

“God has a funny way of getting your attention sometimes,” he said, “whether you believe in him or not.”