Buddy Harris, at the Vault Comedy Club at Valley Forge Casino.
"You can’t enjoy a rainbow without having some rain first,” says Buddy Harris, before adding "…but why not enjoy the rain, too?”
For those who are familiar with Buddy Harris and his comedic performances, that quote will come as no surprise. Ever the optimist, Harris has made his cancer diagnosis a staple of his comedy routine since he was informed that he had testicular cancer on Aug. 1. Audiences from the Lehigh Valley to South Jersey are now all-too-familiar with his circumstances and undertakings, and that’s just how he likes it.
"Comedy has saved my sanity in all of this,” said Harris. "The greats—Richard Pryor, Rodney Dangerfield, Eddie Murphy—all talked about their life, no matter how crazy, dark and real it was. Finding humor and relatability in it, and being given a platform to do the same thing—it’s mind blowing.”
The 38-year-old comedian from Lansdale underwent surgery to remove his left testicle—which he jokingly said he now wears as a necklace—on Aug. 3, but days later discovered that the cancer had spread to his abdomen, leading to more than 12 hours of additional surgery to remove 23 affected lymph nodes. That surgery also left him with temporary paralysis of his hands, though he regained function after several weeks.
"After a month of recovery from that surgery, I started a six week course of chemo,” said Harris, responding to interview questions while seated in the infusion chair. "With the grace of God, or medicine, or luck, or whatever you want to believe in, I will be cancer free after these treatments with a one percent chance of it coming back.”
Despite the tremendous amount of stress and adversity, Harris has handled the situation with class and levity—something not lost on his long-time girlfriend, Julie Palermo.
"Buddy couldn’t be more of a champ through this whole process,” said Palermo. "Even from day one, when he was diagnosed, his attitude was beyond uplifting, and in return, that has helped his children and I tremendously.”
Palermo added that the situation has had the greatest impact on Harris’ three daughters, stating that treatment and medical appointments have reduced their time together with their father. She added that the mother of the girls, Amy, has also had to shoulder more responsibilities, juggling extended time with her children in addition to working a full time job.
Yet, Harris believes the situation has had a positive influence on his friends and family, and has allowed them to use it as a learning experience.
"My family and friends have been wonderful,” said Harris, always eager to heap praise on those closest to him. "I've never been more proud of my kids. They've learned from all this. They've come together as a team. It's really brought us all closer.”
Additionally, he says he’s learned that his comedy routine is more than simply making people laugh; that he may be helping someone in the audience through a similar situation.
"It gives me—and my comedy—a new sense of purpose,” said Harris. "I never know what is going on with each audience member. Someone in the audience may have just lost a loved one. Another may be battling some sort of physical setback. I never know, but if I can't laugh through my problems, I can't expect them to laugh through theirs.”
The Financial Side of Cancer
One area of Harris’s story that can’t be laughed away is the financial toll that a cancer diagnosis brings with it. After a combined 15 hours of surgery, six weeks of chemotherapy and countless doctor appointments in between, the mounting medical bills quickly became another stressor for Harris—even though he has insurance.
"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.”
Despite having coverage, copays, non-covered treatment and non-covered medicine have left Harris in debt that has crossed over into the five-figure range. This unfortunate byproduct of treatment led some of his friends and colleagues to create a fundraiser comedy show for Harris, which will be held at the Worcester Golf Course in Collegeville on Nov. 15, and will be hosted by themultitalented Jimmy Carroll.
"Chris [Coccia] and Jimmy [Carroll] actually initiated the benefit, secured the venue and did lots of the leg work,” said Palermo. "Buddy’s mom and his Aunt Deb have also been a huge help.”
In addition to Carroll and Coccia, the show—which has since sold out—will feature performances by Gotham TV’s Tyler Rothrock, Marc Staudenmaier from Philadelphia and Lansdale’s own Eric Roth.
"I was shocked when I heard [Buddy] had cancer, but have really admired the way he has handled his diagnosis with honesty and humor,” said Roth. "It means a lot to me to be able to help him out, since he was the one who got me back into comedy after a lengthy hiatus.”
Harris said he became emotionally overwhelmed the moment that he became aware of the charity show.
"When they decided to put a benefit together for me, I cried,” said Harris. "It was—it is—overwhelming. I feel undeserving. There are people everywhere worse off than me. The response from our community has been even more overwhelming.”
The Show Must Go On
Aside from the upcoming charity show, Harris continues to book events throughout the area. He just finished up a successful show in Telford on Friday night, and he’ll be making his return to Philadelphia’s Helium Comedy Club on Nov. 13. He also has a show scheduled for Dec. 8 in Morton, Pa., that benefits Pinups for Pitbulls, in addition to others.
What was meant to be fun and therapeutic for others, has now offered the same in return.
"The comedy community is a crazy group of misfits,” said Harris. "We're like the island of Santa's broken toys. But the hearts of this community is unmatched. They are an amazing, loving group of people.”
