Comedian Buddy Harris to Write Column for North Penn Now

Keith Heffintrayer•

A before and after shot of Buddy Harris.

As the old adage goes, when life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade. But what happens when life gives you stage 2B testicular cancer? According to 38-year-old local comedian Buddy Harris, you write a column for North Penn Now.

Harris’s column will make its debut on our site next month on New Year’s Day, and will continue every Tuesday morning from that point forward. The column—titled "Our Rebuild”—will focus not on his months-long experience with cancer and treatment, but rather his effort to return his body and mind to a state of normalcy.

In an excerpt from his debut column, Buddy writes:

"I recently had cancer. Some would say I beat cancer, but I’m not ready to say that though. I had stage 2B testicular cancer, and now I don’t. The doctors beat it. Medicine beat it, and my fight just started.

"While I am cancer free, some damage has been done. My left testicle is gone (if anyone finds it at Walmart’s Lost and Found, please return it to me), I had a second surgery to remove 23 lymph nodes out of my abdomen, I had six weeks of somewhat intense chemo, lost my hair, my eyebrows, feeling in my left hand, a total of 35 pounds, my strength, and to be honest, some confidence and pride.”

The use of the word "Our” in his column title is meaningful, as he said he draws inspiration from many people, and he knows there are others out there who are going through similar circumstances.

"I plan to write about what I’m doing, what I’m eating, gym routines, etc., but I also want to include what inspires me,” said Harris. "This column will be about all of us. Everyone has faced adversity, and everyone has supported someone else going through struggles. ["Our Rebuild”] will include all of those stories.”

The column comes in the wake of a four-month journey from a cancer diagnosis in August to the completion of treatment in late November. In addition to the physical and mental stress of undergoing treatment, financial issues also arose as the cost of treatment—even with insurance—left Harris with debt in the five-figure range.

"I was actually lucky to have insurance during all of this,” said Harris. "The medical industry is great, until it comes to the financial side. You would have thought I bought a small island with some of the bills I've received.”

In response to the added stress of medical bills piling up, the community rallied around Harris and organized a comedy fundraiser to offset some of the medical costs. When that show sold out, they even organized another.

"I’ve been friends with Buddy Harris for several years, and I’ve done a bunch of shows with him,” said Todd Chappell, from Chadds Ford, who played the second fundraiser in Quakertown. "When I heard he had gotten sick, I was really looking for some way to help out. I’m honored to be here as part of his benefit.”

"Buddy is a great guy, and that is important to me off stage,” said Jimmy Carroll, who headlined both fundraisers. "When we got the news, it hit home. He’s got a great attitude, and I’m looking forward to opening for him one day.”

The support from his colleagues and community was a humbling experience for Harris, who plans to continue to use it as motivation going forward.

"It fueled me to keep a good attitude,” said Harris. "And for that, I’m not just thankful, but I feel a strong sense to pay it forward moving on.

"Now that I'm on the other side of this—if I should say that—I feel like this four-month journey was my version of ‘It’s A Wonderful Life,’” Harris continued. "I'm typically too proud for handouts, but when my community saw me struggling, they came out in droves to support me. It was humbling. But also, it taught me the importance of not just my place, but all of our places in this community. Every one of us, with the power of kindness, has the ability to make an impact. I learned it first-hand.”

Be sure to check back on Tuesday, January 1, 2019 for the debut of "Our Rebuild.”