It’s been a tough spring for Arvin. The farm town 20 miles south of Bakersfield that grows them sturdy of stature and upright of character has lost two of its finest in recent weeks.
One was Larry Hallum, still vibrant at 79, who convinced decades of teens to value their citizenship. He taught U.S. history, economics, civics, government, football, baseball and tennis for decades and seemed barely slowed by age. He died April 22, nine weeks after an alleged drunken driver ran a red light and plowed into his car.
The other, on May 17, was Darren Scott, a former student of Hallum’s, just 55, who succumbed to a heart ailment caused by the radiation treatments prescribed by doctors 47 years ago to fight his childhood Hodgkin's lymphoma. Eight-year-old Darren beat that lymphoma but the damage to his heart lingered and worsened.
Scott, an electrical contractor, was enrolled for decades, until his passing, in a long-term followup study of childhood cancer survivors. He received a survey one day about 25 years ago from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital asking, among other questions, whether he’d had any recent changes in his health. Matter of fact, he responded, he had.
“He was experiencing heart problems when he got that survey in the mail,” said wife Cheryl Scott, his Arvin High School sweetheart. “We said ‘Yes, it looks like we have a heart valve stenosis.’ And then, just six weeks later, we got another letter …. ‘Take this letter to your doctor. You need to see a cardiologist immediately if you had cancers in the neck or chest area as a child.’”
In 1975, medical science was still searching for the right doses of radiation to treat certain cancers. In some cases, degrees of exposure deemed necessary to defeat specific cancers years later proved too much for the heart.
But Darren Scott, confronted by that harsh reality, didn’t just dig a hole and jump in.
“He wanted to do anything that could help,” said his wife. “Anything that could help save a child. He gave DNA samples. He was all in.”
But along the way, among other procedures, he had his thyroid gland removed due to growths from the radiation, and a pacemaker.
Cheryl Scott worked in marketing and service development for Golden Empire Transit for 17 years and as the Kern Economic Development Corp.’s vice president and foundation executive director for 15 more. She moved on to Bakersfield College three years ago to run its foundation. All have been high-profile jobs that require an outgoing personality. But, especially early on, it was husband Darren, she said, who was the people person.
“He was always so much more social than I was when we first got married,” Cheryl said. “I was more of an introvert. I was perfectly content staying at home. He really enjoyed doing stuff with friends but over the years he brought me along. And now we're so blessed to have a huge network of friends.
“And even though I knew everybody loved Darren — because, really, when it came to Darren, as everybody has said, what's not to love? — I have been blown away by the level of support and how heartbroken so many people are in the community.”
Darren had heart valve surgery 10 years ago, but two additional heart valves required replacement or repair this spring. The tissue damage had continued to worsen over the years.
He survived a 12-hour heart surgery but could not bounce back from it.
His story is that of a childhood cancer survivor who spent his adult years making the most of every moment, well aware of the initial and worsening damage caused by the very treatment that had saved his life.
“He never focused on the weight of the constant tracking of his heart condition,” said Cheryl, his wife of 33 years. “Instead he led a joyful life.”
Her modest but heartfelt plan to honor his legacy: She wants to continue “to make him proud of me,” she said. “Even if that just means holding my head up and making it through the day without my best friend at my side. … And I know he’ll be in my heart, cheering me on.”
Services will take place at 10 a.m. on May 31 at The Bridge Bible Church, 12225 Stockdale Highway, followed by a 12:30 p.m. burial at Hillcrest Memorial Park.
Lamar Advertising, Darren’s first customer when he started his business, South Valley Electrical Contractors, nearly 20 years ago, is displaying a tribute to him on digital billboards through this Wednesday. The message: “You will be missed.”