CHERISH THE MOMENTS Caleb Svenby waits for the ‘all clear’ after Stage 3 cancer
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alab Svenby didn’t notice anything. Neither did his wife, Val, but friends, family and co-workers saw a change in him. Medford residents Calab and Val welcomed a baby girl Cecilia into the world in January 2019 and fell into a routine of work and raising a baby. Between work and Cici, they barely had time to take a look in the mirror. Had Calab done so, he’d have noticed what others mentioned. Near the end of summer Calab had lost 30 pounds and instead of a healthy tan gained from a summer of landscaping work, he instead had a pale com-
By NICK GERHARDT plexion. Six days before Christmas, Calab saw the doctor. He had cancer -- Stage 3 colorectal cancer. Doctors found a 12-centimeter mass on Svenby, which sent him and his young family through a whirlwind year filled with apprehension. Svenby started treatment in January -- 25 days of chemotherapy from Jan. 16 through Feb. 19. Then the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic hit, throwing yet another wrench in the Svenbys’ lives. His surgery date to remove the affected parts of his large intestine and rectum continued to be post-
poned until finally he went in April 30. He spent four days alone in Abbott Northwestern Hospital before returning home. “With COVID, there were no visitors,” Calab said. “My wife couldn’t even come up to see me. That was tough to be essentially there by myself.” It was tough on Val, too. She couldn’t go on doctor visits with Calab, ask pressing questions she had or gauge a doctor’s reaction to a question or how they answered a question. “I’m kind of the type of person, I wanted to know everything,” Val said. “I was asking the doctors a lot of
ABOVE: Calab Svenby holds daughter, Cici, at a Medford football game Nov. 6 against Randolph. The Tigers Touchdown Club held its annual Sack Cancer night at the game and honored Svenby, who battled colorectal cancer. (Photo courtesy of Calab Svenby) Page 12 | Profiles 2021
