Cancer Won't Dampen Local Performer’s Dreams of Stage

Like many young men his age, 21-year old Terrance Calvert wants to follow his passion and make his mark in the world. Terrance’s upbeat and energetic personality gives almost no hint of his troubled formative years or the battle he currently faces.

Terrance was born in Philadelphia to drug-addicted parents. By age 3, he and his six siblings were placed in foster care. He was placed with the Calvert family in Drexel Hill along with his younger brother Najah. This temporary two-week placement lasted six years until the family was finally able to adopt both boys.

Terrance loves his adopted parents, who are white, but he says, "being African-American and growing up in mostly white neighborhood and school was hard. Both blacks and whites shunned me. The black kids said I didn’t act ‘black’ and the white kids shunned me because I was the only black kid. I had to act differently with each group to try to fit in all the time. It was like being a chameleon. I just didn’t know how to act with anyone. I never felt connected in the community.”

Terrance played sports and was a Boy Scout, but it was the Upper Darby Summer Stage program that finally gave him the emotional connections he craved. He joined Summer Stage in 2004 as a freshman at Upper Darby High School.

“Growing up in foster care and being adopted comes with its own set of challenges, including a basic mistrust of authority figures and lack of information about medical or family history," Terrance says. "I also had bouts of anger throughout childhood, which caused problems in every area of my life. For so long, I had no foundation, no core family feeling. I felt like the ball in a pinball machine, just bouncing from place to place.

“But Summer Stage changed all that. I could be myself here and I was accepted. Summer Stage gave me the foundation of confidence that I was lacking and it helped shape who I am today. I didn’t have to hide who I was when I was here, I am just Terrance.”

By 2007, Terrance had also joined the elite performance group at Summer Stage called Shooting Stars and dreamed of continuing his passion at Delaware County Community College.

But something changed for Terrance that would effect his life.

Late last year, Terrance began suffering chronic back pain. After several months of testing, specialists diagnosed him with stage-four kidney cancer in March and told him that the cancer had already spread throughout much of the rest of his body.

Terrance underwent surgery to remove a kidney, his spleen and several lymph nodes. He then began radiation and is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatments, which have damaged his spine.

Just last week, Terrance underwent surgery to cement his vertebrae, which has severely limited his ability to dance. As a testament to his passion and dedication to the Summer Stage program, Terrance had back surgery on a Friday and was back at Summer Stage the following Monday.

Despite his setbacks, Terrance keeps a positive attitude. 

“Being diagnosed with cancer is tough but overall I feel pretty good.  The doctors have a course of treatment and we are doing that. I don’t feel sick most of the time. Other people remind me that I am sick by the way they treat me.

“I don’t want to live sick. I am not living that way. I want to do what I can do when I can do it. I hate to waste time doing nothing. Wasting time is not intelligent. I was that way before cancer and I am still that way. I am living with cancer.  I do have my bad times but I don’t dwell on that.”

Harry Dietzler, executive director of the Upper Darby Summer Stage program, says, “Terrance is a great kid. I have seen him make huge personal progress considering the rough time he had growing up. He has developed into a leader here at Summer Stage. He tried hard to overcome his troubles and has succeeded here, he works hard in every performance and is a fearless performer.”

And the feeling is mutual.

“My relationship with Harry (Dietzler) started slowly,” Terrance says. “I showed up on time to rehearsals in Summer Stage and then in Shooting Stars. Every time I showed up, he started seeing me as dependable and slowly I was the ‘go-to person’ to train others and sort of be a role model. He began to trust me and I began to trust him. He is like my Dad here at Summer Stage."

And Terrance is not the only one who appreciates Dietzler.

“I would have to say that Harry Dietzler saved him”, says Terrance’s mother, Linda Calvert. “Harry was the first adult to respect him for his talent and encouraged him to pursue it. This place gave him direction and a sense of self-confidence that he lacked for so long. He was able to be himself and was accepted. I am so impressed by this program.”

Linda Calvert works as an activities director for a senior care center in Broomall. Terrance worked at the in Haverford Township and he and his mom would talk about their day caring for seniors.

Terrance worked at the Quadrangle senior home for about a year but had to leave shortly after he was diagnosed because the physical demands of the job were too much for him to manage.

But it is his passion that gives him the strength to continue Summer Stage, which he tells everyone about.

“I tell everyone I know about Summer Stage, even when I am in the hospital, I tell the doctors and nurses to come see the shows. Summer Stage gives kids the tools to learn how to act and react in the world. It did that for me. I learned about life and being with other people here,” Terrance says.

A benefit cabaret show to celebrate Terrance will be held on Friday, Aug. 5 at 10:30 p.m. at the Upper Darby Performing Arts Center at Upper Darby High School right after the Summer Stage performance of . Terrace will also perform a few numbers at the benefit.

Terrance’s mother Linda is grateful for the upcoming benefit. 

“It will help with medical costs not covered by insurance. Just one medicine regime for Terrance costs $22,000 per month and is only partially covered by health insurance,” she explained.

Suggested donations for the event are $7 to $10.  Additional donations can also be sent to Upper Darby Summer Stage, 601 North Lansdowne Avenue, Upper Darby, PA,  19082. Checks should be made out to “Backstage Pass” and in the memo section write “Terrance Calvert.”