While the tape holding down a newspaper clipping on his desk is torn and withered, El Reno High School wrestling coach Shane Kerr still draws inspiration from its words.
It's a story about a boy named Kaleb, born two months premature, who spent the first five weeks of his life in an intensive care unit at OU Medical Center.
While the story is not uncommon, the little boy has a special place in Kerr's heart. The struggles of that tiny 2-pound, 15-ounce child and the love and support shown by friends, family, his church and even strangers in a time of need still brings tears to Kerr's eyes.
The same eyes, which for the past six years have watched Kaleb Duncan Kerr grow from that ICU unit to a high-spirited grade schooler, now face another challenge.
Kerr was scheduled to undergo surgery Friday to remove a tennis-ball sized tumor on the right side of his brain. The mass, said Kerr, is pushing on the ocular nerves of his right eye – forcing blurred and slight loss of vision at times.
“Things are a little crazy now in the Kerr family. It reminds me of about six years ago when they put our son in the hospital. That's the closest I've come to something like this, and I think that was even tougher then than it is now,” Kerr said.
The mass on his brain was found shortly after Kerr returned from coaching his team at the Lawton MacArthur Open on Nov. 7.
“Connor Howard said my eyes were crossing and I didn't notice it. I actually made him do 25 pushups because he kept saying it and looking at me funny,” Kerr said.
Kerr went to a local optometrist, who quickly referred him to a specialist in Oklahoma City.
“I knew it was kind of bad because everyone was acting very strict and stern about things,” Kerr said. “They did a bunch of tests there and then sent me to a guy in Oklahoma City. He did an MRI and then they told me I had a tumor the size of a tennis ball.”
The hopscotch between the local doctor and the news from the neurologist, in a span of just three days, caught Kerr by surprise.
“I wasn't out of the parking lot from the MRI when the retina specialist called and told me about the tumor and said we were operating on Friday.
“I hugged my wife because she started bawling. I knew that people cared about me, but it's been awesome the way people have been calling and being supportive and praying for me,” Kerr said.
Kerr said his faith and the prayers of everyone around his family has allowed him to take a somewhat light-hearted approach to a serious situation.
“The way I'm looking at this is that things happen for a reason and hopefully we can make it a positive reason,” Kerr said. “I'm going to joke and have fun. If the good Lord takes me, he takes me, if he doesn't, I'm still going to make jokes and have fun in life.”
Kerr puts the joking aside when it comes to thanking the people that have shown support.
“I want to thank everyone for praying for me and my family,” Kerr said.

Keeping a clean head

Kerr wanted his team to feel a part of the situation, so he allowed them to shave his head. He now sports a low-cut Mohawk in the middle and shaved on the sides.
“I keep scratching my head, but I think it's the short haircut,” said Kerr, who said he cannot feel the tumor. “Some people say they can see a bump on the side of my head, but I can't see anything.”
Kerr said the procedure would take close to three hours and that he would be in recovery for three to four days.
“The doctor said it was a routine surgery for him,” Kerr said. “I sort of gave him a look and he said, 'I know it's not routine for you.'' It seems about as good of news as it can be from my end.”
Kerr said surgeons will make a reversed question mark incision starting near the right temple, reaching back around the ear and ending around his forehead.
“After that I'm not sure what they are doing to get to the tumor,” Kerr said.
The 35-year-old Kerr, who has never been hospitalized before and doesn't have a family physician, said he doesn't know how the tumor formed. He said the doctors tell him the mass has not fingered out and that it doesn't look to be cancer.
“They said it does not have cancerous characteristics,” Kerr said. “They are not ruling it out until they can get it out and run the tests.”

Reason to be thankful

Kerr will miss the large Thanksgiving feast held every year by his mother's side of the family in Minco.
“Hopefully I can get someone to bring me up a plate,” Kerr said.
However, by catching the tumor in time so it can be removed has left him plenty of reason to be thankful.
“I know it sounds weird, but things like this are good for a person. It makes you realize that losing that dual or your schedule at work is really not all that important. It makes you realize the people around you and that you need to cherish them and be a little more thankful for them,” Kerr said.

Time away from the mats

Kerr jokes that he will be back to work in a week, but coaches and wrestlers are leaning toward the first of the year.
“They say I will be off work for three to four weeks. I can have no contact sport or live wrestling for a year, which is the really long part,” Kerr said, who often gets on the mats with his wrestlers to teach techniques.
While Kerr is on leave, assistant coach Jay Howard will assume the head coaching duties. Joe Dauphin will be the head junior high coach.



“I just want to be coaching. I will miss about a quarter of the season, but the early part of the season is really important,” Kerr said.
Plans are in place to keep Kerr informed about dual and tournament results, but that's not what he wants.
“The live wrestling is not that big of a deal. But being here and coaching is what I want to be doing. I don't want to have to call up and see how they are doing. You know what it''s like to see Cory Dauphin wrestle, I don't want to be sitting in my house thinking about it. That's what's going to be eating me up the most, not being around the guys,” Kerr said.