Former Wasola fire chief, ‘Everyday Hero’ in battle with rare form of leukemia

Darrel Watson is not one who asks for help easily. The fact is, for more than 20 years, he was one of the first to respond when others called for help while he served as a volunteer first responder, firefighter and later chief of the Wasola Volunteer Fire Department. 

For their devoted service to the community, Darrel and his first wife, Audean, were honored as “Everyday Heroes” by the American Red Cross at a Springfield event in 2013. In recommending them for the honor, their daughter-in-law, Julie Watson, described how the Watsons, including some of their adult children, served their community tirelessly. 

Julie wrote that there were many times, before they retired from running their dairy farm, when Darrel and Audean would be out on a call until the wee hours of the morning, and then they would come home to change and “go right to the milk barn” to begin their regular workday.

“They leave their warm beds in the middle of the night and leave family functions to help people they may not know with everything from vehicle wrecks to heart problems and accidents in the home,” Julie said. “They are wonderful role models for community spirit and service for their grandchildren and all of us.”

 Darrel, now 71, also served on Ozark County’s University of Missouri Extension Council. 

Audean died in 2014 of colon cancer. In October 2017, Darrel married the former Regina “Gina” Frazier. He retired as fire chief in 2018, but he and Gina continued as emergency medical first responders until last year. Darrel’s son Scott Watson, Julie’s husband, now serves as chief.

Darrel has faced lots of challenges in his life, and now he’s battling an especially ferocious one. For almost a year, he and Gina have spent most of their time and energy focused on beating the diagnosis Darrel got last November after several months of declining health: acute myeloid leukemia.  

Between November 2019 and February of this year he went through four rounds of chemo, and he’s had multiple bone marrow biopsies, but the results haven’t been what they had hoped for, Gina Watson said Sunday. 

In late March, just as the covid-19 pandemic was reaching a critical stage, she and Darrel spent 71 days in St. Louis as he underwent another round of strong chemo. Darrel spent 30 days straight in the hospital – and no one could visit him, not even Gina. 

“He had to be hospitalized because they told him, ‘On day 14, you’ll get sick and have all kinds of reactions.’ And on day 14, he wound up in the ICU, and I couldn’t be there,” Gina said.

Darrel has had three more rounds of chemo since then.  

The Watsons are heading back to Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis soon, hoping Darrel can be accepted into a clinical trial that’s showing promise. But to be accepted into the trial, his blood tests have to land within specific limits – and to get his bloodwork there, he’s undergoing more treatments and, if all goes well, a bone marrow transplant (also called a stem cell treatment), with one of his brothers serving as a donor.

“It’s all been extremely expensive,” said Gina, who recently left her job at an area bank so she could drive Darrel to appointments and stay with him when they have to be in St. Louis. While Darrel has Medicare and some insurance, their travel to St. Louis – and their long stays there, including an economical duplex apartment near the hospital that costs $350 a week – must be paid with their own funds.

That’s why Darrel’s family has finally persuaded him to let them ask for help from the community he has served so long. Julie Watson has started a gofundme.com account (search for “Help Darrel Watson’s cancer journey to remission”). An account has also been set up at Century Bank of the Ozarks, where donations to the “Benefit fund for Darrel Watson” can be made at any branch. 

Gina Watson said they are especially grateful for the many people who are praying for them. And, knowing that many friends and family members are going through their own financial challenges during the pandemic and are unable to help monetarily, she said blood donations in Darrel’s honor are also very much appreciated, acknowledging the many blood transfusions he’s had since his diagnosis.

Darrel’s daughter-in-law Julie says in her gofundme.com appeal that Darrel “never asks for anything in return for his drive to help others, and now is the time we can help him.”

Those wishing to send gifts or messages of encouragement may address them to the Watsons at 378 County Road 826, Noble, MO 65715.