The voice of high school sports in Midlothian, Charles Tater Beard has returned to the broadcasting booth after losing much of his leg last year to a bacterial infection and complications of diabetes.
“It gives me a chance to highlight these kids and let them know that somebody’s there for them,” Tater says. “That’s even more special because they were all there for me last year.”
Tater may have lost part of his left leg, but his voice is intact, as is his affection for Midlothian ISD athletics, which he’s covered as a broadcaster for a decade. His absence from the booth was a blow to both him and the Midlothian community, and his return this fall may be the biggest step in his recovery so far.
“It’s a blessing, and none of this happens without the team at Methodist Midlothian,” he says.
1ST QUARTER ADVERSITY
Adversity struck early in 2023 as Texas dealt with a historic winter storm. After falling in stagnant water, Tater injured his foot, and the pain from that wound only got worse.
“I’d been self-treating it, but my foot started to hurt really badly,” says Tater, who for years has struggled with diabetes and the slow healing process that goes with it.
Four days passed and Tater decided to get his foot examined while he was visiting Methodist Midlothian Medical Center with his ailing mother.
“My wife suggested that since we were there anyway, I might as well get it looked at,” Tater says.
Doctors quickly discovered that Tater was suffering from gas gangrene, a flesh-eating disease that destroys tissues. He would require emergency surgery to amputate five toes, and there was no time to spare because gas gangrene can turn fatal within hours.
“It rapidly spreads, so if you don’t hurry up and treat it, the infection goes higher,” says Ivan Cruz, MD, general surgeon on the medical staff at Methodist Midlothian.
Had Tater waited another 24 hours, his chances of recovering would have been far worse, Dr. Cruz adds.
2ND QUARTER BATTLE
The next day brought another surgery because Tater’s bacterial infection, called necrotizing fasciitis, had spread into his lower leg.
And the corrective surgeries didn’t end there: Several months later, his wound continued to be a problem, delaying his recovery.
“The infection was still in my bone,” Tater says.
Diabetes had predisposed him to the infection and later made it difficult for him to heal.
“People with diabetes have poor blood flow and are very bad at healing wounds,” Dr. Cruz says.
Five more corrective surgeries were needed, resulting in the amputation of much of Tater’s leg below the knee.
He spent two months at Methodist Midlothian, but he was surrounded by love. Midlothian High School athletes routinely came to visit, prayed over him, and hung banners around his room.
Tater and Patient Care Technician Gabrielle Marquez take a selfie at Methodist Midlothian.
3RD QUARTER COMEBACK
For 10 years, Tater has been a defining voice on Panthers Radio, a broadcast covering the Midlothian Panthers sports teams, including basketball, football, and soccer.
He prides himself on being a storyteller and, even more, on motivating the athletes he covers to succeed in life.
“There’s a community that’s here to back them, no matter what,” Tater says.
His absence from broadcasting proved the most difficult part of his road to recovery because he had become a beloved mentor to so many students and alumni.
One such student, a soccer player, went out of his way to thank Tater and celebrate with him after winning the state championship. At the time, Tater was using a wheelchair, so it came as a much-needed boost to his morale.
“That’s what it’s all about,” Tater says.
Tater is back to doing what he loves as the voice of Panther Radio, pictured with Durwood Manley.
4TH QUARTER TRIUMPH
Now Tater is walking with a prosthetic leg, and he’s even started a fledgling support group that holds workouts for non-ambulatory community members.
“Support groups help people who suffer from many things, as peers will often know many details first-hand,” Dr. Cruz says.
Mallory Ritter, one of the co-founders of “Find Another Way,” met Tater at a basketball game that he announced.
“It’s really on our hearts to build a community of people who are disabled, because sometimes disability can feel isolating,” says Mallory, who has multiple sclerosis (MS) and uses a power wheelchair.
Though the group is just getting started, Mallory says she’s extremely appreciative of Tater’s efforts to spread inclusivity within the Midlothian community.
For his part, Tater is still finding his way but has stayed positive throughout the ups and downs of recovery. And he’s forever grateful to the team at Methodist Midlothian for saving his life.
“I would not be here if it wasn’t for Dr. Cruz and the nurses who were there to laugh and cry with me,” he says.
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