After surviving stage 4 tongue cancer, CNU professor finds new calling in nursing

For most people, a dental cleaning is a routine appointment. The hygienist and dentist examine the teeth, gums, tongue, and mouth, looking for anything unusual before sending patients on their way.

In the fall of 2024, that routine exam became life-changing for William “Dave” Knight of Newport News.

What had been a small, seemingly harmless spot on his tongue was diagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma. At just 43 years old, Dave was stunned. He was in great health and had never smoked a day in his life.

"To learn I had stage 4 tongue cancer was a complete shock,” he said.

Expert care close to home

Just a few months later, in December 2024, he underwent a 14-hour surgery at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.

The complex procedure was performed by Jonathan Mark, M.D., and Patrick Morgan, M.D., otolaryngologists with Sentara EVMS Comprehensive Head and Neck Center. The surgeons removed the tumor and reconstructed Knight's tongue using advanced microvascular techniques.

For Dave, the results were nothing short of remarkable.

"They did such a masterful job that I am able to speak for hours each day lecturing students with very little change to my post-operative voice," he said. "They preserved a huge part of my professional identity."

That identity is deeply rooted in education. Dave is a professor of anatomy and physiology at Christopher Newport University, where he has spent years preparing students for careers in healthcare.

His care team is part of the Sentara EVMS Comprehensive Head and Neck Center, a multidisciplinary program within the Sentara Cancer Network, and the only one of its kind in the region. The coordinated approach ensured Knight received comprehensive care throughout treatment and recovery.

From patient to future nurse

But his cancer journey did more than save his life; it inspired a new purpose.

In January 2027, while continuing to teach full time, Knight will begin nursing school. His decision stems directly from the care he received during treatment.

"First and foremost, it was the exemplary care I received at every stage of my treatment," Dave said. "From Sentara Norfolk General Hospital and Sentara Brock Cancer Center to Virginia Oncology Associates, the nursing teams stand out as front-line champions."

He remembers the compassion shown by nurses during some of the most difficult moments of his life.

"Nurses care for you in your absolute most vulnerable state, entirely without judgment," he said. "Their capacity to put a patient's physical and emotional needs above their own is something you don't easily forget."

Inspired by compassion

Among those who made a lasting impact was his oncology nurse navigator, Jo-Marie Ewell.

"My champion, Jo-Marie, is the poster child for this level of dedication," Dave said. "But I quickly realized this selfless heroism is infectious across the workforce."
As a longtime educator, he also discovered a new appreciation for the clinical side of healthcare.

For nearly two decades, Dave has taught students the science behind medicine. Yet his own experience as a patient uncovered a gap between textbook knowledge and real-world practice.

"When I was hospitalized, my teaching instincts went into overdrive," he said. "I was sending photos of my own surgical wrist wound to advanced students, pointing out tendons and asking them to identify what they saw."

The experience sparked something he could not ignore.

"I realized it is not too late for me to build a better bridge for my students by connecting textbook theory to real-world clinical settings."

For Dave, nursing offers the perfect opportunity to combine education, patient care, and service.

His decision is also motivated by a broader need.

Virginia, like much of the nation, continues to face a significant healthcare workforce shortage. Nurses remain among the most in-demand healthcare professionals across the Commonwealth.

"I have always been the type of person who sees a structural need and feels a duty to fulfill it as best I can," Dave said. "There is an intrinsic reward in making a direct, major impact on community needs."

Paying it forward

Today, he is focused on paying forward the second chance he received.

In addition to pursuing nursing, he remains active with a Support for People with Oral and Head and Neck Cancer (SPOHNC) chapter that meets monthly, virtually and in-person. There, he connects with fellow survivors, shares lessons from his own journey, and offers encouragement to those beginning theirs.

"They gave me my second chance," Dave said. "Now I have the energy and drive to pay it forward and be the difference for someone else."

For Dave, surviving cancer wasn't the end of the story. It was the beginning of a new chapter, one dedicated to serving others, supporting fellow survivors, and helping train the next generation of healthcare professionals.

And it all began with a routine dental exam that reinforced an important lesson: sometimes the smallest findings can make the biggest difference.