Chef's HPV Cancer Battle: Spread the Word

0:00It's April 21st. Welcome to Dallas News Today, Powered by AI. Fort Worth Chef John Benel, a big name in Texas cuisine with spots like Benel's Fine Texas cuisine and John's Grill, got hit hard last December. With stage 3 Squarmicell carcinoma on his throat and tongue, turns out it came from a common strain of HPV, that virus most folds here about back in college, but forget. For nearly six months, he couldn't taste the thing he ate, stripping away his love for cooking, dining out, and even wine tasting. He battled through multiple surgeries, heavy radiation, and chemo, dropping over 40 pounds and getting stuck on the couch most days. Swallowing water or food burned like fire on one side of his throat, and he had to spit into a cup non-stop from the damage. But in late March, scans showed he was cancer-free, with a 96% survival shot from the start. The bottle knows two other guys in the same boat right now, and it shook him how common this is. HPV links to about 70% of throat and tongue.

1:01Cancer's here in the States. He's fired up to spread the word, especially since a vaccine could have stopped it cold for him. Docs pushed the HPV shot starting at ages 9 to 12, two doses if you're 14 or under, three of older up to 45. Most insurance covers it fully, including Medicare and Medicaid, and places like Australia are wiping out related cancers because of it. Bonnell says vaccinating one generation could slash 70% of head and neck cases in men, and nearly all cervical ones. He's easing back into solid foods now, venturing out more, and banking on summer to bring his taste buds fully on mine. If his story pushes even one person to get that vaccine and skip this nightmare, it's a win-worth every tough day.