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| Texans LB E.J. Speed |
As she sat in a chair in the infusion room at Fort Belvoir Hospital in Alexandria, Virginia, receiving her chemotherapy treatment to help battle the cancerous tumor that had metastasized in her body into Stage Four colon cancer, Jamila Barefield, my late wife, was lost in her thoughts.
Although she was still aware of her surroundings, the look in her eyes and body posture reflected a mood of despair, almost one of hopelessness.
That was until I entered the small portion of the hospital, where my loud Texas and country mixed southern drawl was evident as I spoke to the nurses and caregivers in the hallway.
As soon as she heard my voice, her head turned immediately, and a big smile spread across her face as she spoke the words I was so used to hearing.
“You are loud and country for no reason,” she said as she sat up in her seat. “But I am so glad to see you; this place can suck the joy out of your spirit.”
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| Jamila Barefield |
Houston Texans linebacker E.J. Speed, a Texas native, may not be as loud and country as I am. Still, his presence at the cancer unit of Houston Methodist Hospital in Cypress, Texas, was just as impactful and influential to the patients he visited.
“It was good to see,” said Speed about the smiles he was able to put on the faces of the individuals he had an opportunity to visit. “Anytime you can come back and make a situation better for someone who is going through something, even though we all have our own problems. Anytime you can come back and help put a smile on someone’s face, it’s always a great thing.”
Speed, whom the Texans signed this past offseason to a one-year deal worth $5 million after he spent the last six seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, talked about everything from television shows to food with the patients and was even met with a bit of football trash talk.
“I met a Tampa Bay fan today,” Speed said jokingly about the friendly banter.
The welcomed sight of Speed, along with members of the Houston Texans cheerleading squad, not only brought smiles to the faces of those receiving treatment, but also to the staff members who work in the cancer center as they enjoyed the uplifted mood around the hospital floor.
“This was truly special,” said Abbie Ives, Nurse Manager of Oncology Services at Houston Methodist Cypress Hospital. “For our patients, this is obviously a very trying time and a very difficult season for them to go through.
“Being able to have a player come and socialize, allowing some sense of normalcy back into their lives, is very meaningful. It also gives a moment of cheerfulness and pride. So, we are very honored to have this visit today.”
Visiting the cancer center was more than just a community outing for Speed. Like me, he has an emotional attachment to those who are suffering from cancer.
Speed’s adoptive brother, Paul Sneed, was diagnosed with cancer during his senior year of high school. Although Speed received numerous offers from FBS schools out of state, he decided to commit to Tarleton State, the same school Sneed had planned to attend.
Sadly, Sneed lost his battle with cancer before the two were set to graduate.
“Just a trip down Memory Lane,” said Speed as he spoke with the media. “Just like an ego check for me and myself and just knowing where I came from and stuff like that, and I’ve been in those patients’ rooms and stuff with him, and I know how hard it is on a family, so coming back and giving back today was a special thing for me.”
As emotional a visit as it was for Speed, he plans to make a return soon on his own to bring more joy to the patients who are also rooting for a Texans victory on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.