Mo. man dying of cancer gets his Star Wars wish

CARTERVILLE, Mo. -- A southwest Missouri man dying of brain cancer has received his Star Wars wish.

Todd Humbard, 42, has terminal brain cancer. So a group of people who know he's a huge Star Wars fan got together this week to fulfill one of his small wishes -- to buy some Star Wars collectibles, The Joplin (Mo.) Globe reported.

"I collected until 1983," Humbard said in his dry sense of humor, "when I was told I couldn't have toys anymore."

Knowing Humbard's love of the Star Wars franchise, personnel with Avalon Hospice, the Freeman Cancer Institute, the Dream Foundation and Vintage Stock came together at Humbard's home in Carterville, just north of Joplin. Because Humbard was physically unable to get to the collectibles store, Vintage Stock manager Brandon Bond helped bring the store to Humbard.

At the home, volunteers set up a makeshift shop on Humbard's couch and brought a $100 gift card to help with the purchasing. They also brought him a DVD player and a Star Wars cake.

"You did such a good job," he told Avalon Hospice care consultant Kari Most. "I'm so grateful for everything."

Humbard grew up in Monett and graduated from Missouri Southern State University with a political-science degree. For 10 years, Humbard was himself a caregiver for his grandmother, who had diabetes and dementia.

His father, who had T-cell lymphoma, died in May 2008. His grandmother died five weeks later.

"Now, at 42, I'm at that path," Humbard said.

In 2009, doctors discovered a pituitary gland tumor in Humbard that wrapped around his hypothalamus and optic nerve. He later lost vision and begin experiencing headaches. After a fall, doctors found a tumor. Radiation and chemotherapy couldn't stop it, and doctors and his mother knew when it was time to seek hospice help.

As the Star Wars collectibles were displayed on his couch Monday, Humbard recalled seeing the first movie in the series with his dad when it first hit Joplin theaters. He still cherishes the hundreds of figures he has accumulated in plastic totes. He says the collectibles will eventually go to his young nephews.

"The idea is to give quality of life to every day that we have," Most said.

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Information from: The Joplin (Mo.) Globe, http://www.joplinglobe.com