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Clint Riese
Sports Editor
Ashley Entwistle has been dancing for longer than she can remember. So in January, when she began to have trouble twirling and jumping, she knew something was wrong. In fact, she could not even climb up stairs without losing her breath.
An initial diagnosis of asthma made sense to Ashley, then a sophomore at Forest Lake High School.
“I wasn’t really sure what it was,” she says. “It was just trouble breathing. It wasn’t anything else, so it sounded like it could be that. But none of the inhalers or anything helped.”
A month and a half later, her world was rocked. An x-ray at Children’s Hospital in St. Paul on March 3 revealed a seven-pound tumor filling the left side of her chest. It was pushing her heart against her lungs, restricting her breathing.
A pulmonary doctor diagnosed her with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, but a series of CAT scans and PET scans that same day eliminated that possibility. A biopsy a few days later did not lead to another diagnosis.
On March 10, Ashley underwent surgery that removed 95 percent of the tumor. Due to its location, doctors had to break her sternum, clavicle and rib cage. A definitive diagnosis was finally made – the tumor was from desmoid fibromatosis, a rare cancer that arises from cells that help form muscles, tendons and nervous tissue. Only about 900 cases of it are diagnosed each year.
Though the Columbus family feared that the asthma diagnosis had been incorrect, the word cancer still came as a huge shock.
“I could feel nothing different because it was inside my rib cage,” says Ashley, a sister of two. “Nothing was sticking out or felt any different.”
Along with parents Susan and Cody, Ashley decided to hold off on treatment until they knew if the cancer was coming back. A follow-up x-ray on April 30 showed that the tumor was indeed growing again. She was put on a combination of drugs, but learned on Aug. 3 that the treatment was unsuccessful. The 16-year-old underwent another surgery a week later in which doctors put a port in her chest for chemotherapy. She has been undergoing the treatments on a weekly basis even since.
Another setback came in Ashley’s most recent MRI, which showed that the tumor is still growing. As soon as a team of four specialists can match their schedules, Ashley will undergo major surgery again. The doctors will attempt to completely remove the tumor this time, though it will be hard because the cancer is wrapped around arteries and nerves.
“She can only live so long with the tumor, so it’s a little more critical this time around,” Susan says.
Still dancing
For a girl used to being so active, the first surgery was doubly frustrating. Besides the obvious fear involved, Ashley was bed-ridden for a week and out of school for two weeks. Fortunately, the high school dance season had just wrapped up. She took part in team practices over the summer despite being limited in movement. Even now, she is as much a part of the team as ever.
“I go to practice every day and watch,” she says.
Her teammates have even been helping to organize her benefit dinner, which takes place this Saturday night at the Forest Lake VFW.
Ashley’s spirit has been an inspiration to the team, according to coach Cheryl Smoczyk.
“She’s incredible,” Smoczyk says. “She comes after chemo...She’s just a great kid and it’s just too stinking bad that this happened, but we’re hoping for a miracle. I hope everyone will come out [to the benefit].”
Through the whole ordeal, Ashley has tried to live just as she had before the diagnosis. She enjoys scrapbooking and hanging out with her family, and still attends school like usual.
“She hasn’t changed,” Susan says. “She’s continuing on with her normal life. She still does day-to-day stuff and is trying to keep her life as normal as possible. She’s been very strong through it all.”
Entwistle Benefit
A spaghetti dinner and night of entertainment will benefit the Entwistle family and help defray medical expenses. The benefit goes from 4 to 8 p.m. this Saturday at the VFW. There will also be a silent auction, raffle, bake sale, door prizes and a DJ.
Admission is $10 for ages 13 and up, $5 for those ages 5-12 and free to those under 5. For more information on the event, or to make a donation, contact Brandie Hokanson at 263-5935 or
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