CHARLOTTESVILLE — Go hard. Go fast. Don’t back down.
Amber Shultz said that’s what her husband, long-time Eastern Hancock coach Clayton Shultz, tells his teams, and that’s exactly what he is doing in his battle with cancer.
While she admits the treatments and process are not going as fast as they would like, all the determination and attitude that goes with fighting a tough battle is in place.
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Initially thought to be pancreatitis, Shultz and his family found out shortly after Memorial Day that he had Burkitt Lymphoma, an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, in his abdomen.
It was later determined he also has CNS (Central Nervous System) Lymphoma, a rare non-Hodgkin lymphoma, in his brain.
The oncology team at Community North Hospital has told them to expect some peaks and valleys during the treatment process.
Amber said every day is a win, and the Shultz and Eastern Hancock families got a big win on Monday.
After spending all but four of the last 50 days in the hospital, Shultz was discharged Monday evening. He will have to return to the hospital to begin a third round of chemotherapy on Friday.
In the meantime, he got the kind of therapy he’s been looking for — football practice.
Before heading home for a couple of days, it was time to stop by the high school and catch football practice. Shultz is the team’s defensive coordinator and his son, Connor, is a senior wide receiver and linebacker on the team.
Football is just one of three sports Shultz coaches. In the winter he leads the middle school basketball team, and in the spring he is the high school’s head boys track and field coach.
“I knew he was going to try to make it (to practice), but I wasn’t 100 percent sure,” said coach Michael Galyan, the Royals’ offensive coordinator and head girls track and field coach. “He came in on a golf cart and came into the end of the end zone. All the kids sprinted over.
“I was watching the kids. A lot of them were getting really emotional running to see him. It was a cool moment.”
A cool moment, but not surprising.
Clayton Shultz is a pretty special person, especially to those at Eastern Hancock.
He was a star athlete at the school, selected to the North-South All-Star game after his Royals’ football career. He’s been coaching for 20 years and has been the head track coach for the last 10. No track coach has won more conference championships (four). He was part of the football staff that reached the 2013 state championship game.
“He is the heart and soul of our program,” Galyan said. “It’s been said a million times, (these kids) would do anything for him. He’s a special guy.”
Amber said the veteran coach is eager to get back on the sidelines to both coach his team and watch his son play his final year with the Royals.
For now, his coaching is relegated mostly to the hospital bed. But, he’s still coaching. The Royals film all of their practices, so he is able to monitor how the defense and son are doing.
Additionally, nurses go by Shultz’s hospital room to get cheered up. So, he’s coaching them up.
That’s what coaches do.
“He has his rough days, but he jokes with them,” Amber said.
And, the longtime coach is getting that support right back, in spades.
On Saturday, the Charlottesville Lions Club will be hosting a Fish Fry from 3 to 7 p.m., with all proceeds going to help the Shultz family.
Domino’s Pizza in Greenfield is doing their second fundraiser on July 27. Twenty percent of purchases are going to the Shultz family for online orders that use the code D1 and walk-in and call-in orders that reference #shultzstrong.
People can buy #SHULTZSTRONG T-shirts at Main Street Threads in Knightstown. Another friend set up a gofundme.com page.
Everyone wants to help and send their support, and it continues to come in waves.
When Clayton first got sick, the ICU area was standing room only for three days.
“Clayton doesn’t see it,” Amber said. “He says, ‘I’m just Clayton.’ He bleeds blue. He has no idea the impact he has made on people.”
Along with supporting the Shultz family from the mentioned fundraisers, those that want to reach out with a card can send one to Community Hospital at 7150 Clearvista Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46256 or to Clayton and Amber Shultz at P.O. Box 451, Morristown, IN 46161.
