Cancer claimed his leg, but not his passion. Paranormal researcher Rick Hale speaks to Spooky Isles about ghost hunting as an amputant
In 2016, the old spooky Isles-writer and paranormal researcher Rick Hale received a death sentence. Diagnosed with synovial cell arocoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer, doctors gave him only two to six months to live.
The tumor, in his left ankle, presented a choice: palliative treatment with bad opportunities, or leaves the leg amputated and fighting to survive. Rick Koos chose life and hereby redefined what it means to be a ghost hunter.
“I didn’t even have to think about it,” he says clearly, in an interview with Spooky Isles Podcast. “I was 42. I wanted to live. Take it.” And so the doctors did that.
Today Rick is running with a prosthetic leg – his third in almost a decade. While the cancer has disappeared, the legacy of his decision has not only formed his daily life, but also his place in the paranormal world.
In the recent episode of Spooky Isles Podcast, Rick came to hosts David Saunderson and Rachael Elizabeth to think about how an amputer influenced his long career in paranormal.
After having written nearly 250 articles for spooky islands on chases in the United Kingdom and then, Rick knows a few things about the supernatural.
“Paranormal investigation is not about running abandoned buildings,” he says. “It’s about observing, listening, feeling. Everyone can do that – whether you are in a wheelchair, blind, deaf or one leg.”
He is passionate about this message. Rick has seen firsthand how disabled researchers can be rejected, either for fear of liability or ignorant assumptions on capacities.
“I applied for groups,” he admits, “and as soon as I call my handicap, they are suddenly no longer looking for new members.”
But Rick did not let him stop. He currently films disabled Paranormal, a documentary that emphasizes the work of disabled ghost hunters such as blind researcher Christina Bowen and Parapegic Adam Glider Bonnet. The documentary is about demonstrating that the supernatural does not discriminate. Nor can people chase it.
Despite his physical limitations, Rick continues to investigate actively.
A recent case in Hebron, Illinois, a seemingly quiet city near the border with Wisconsin, confirmed his determination again. Rick and his team of Spire Paranormal have called on to assess a private home and experienced something rare: a clear male voice that ‘leaves’ during a rod fence session. The voice was recorded on audio. No one else in the room had spoken.
“I had not experienced anything really paranormal for a while,” says Rick. “He shook me a bit. It reminded me why I still do this.”
It is also the reason why he is careful not to draw conclusions.
“I have been in cases where it turned out that carbon monoxide poisoning turned out to be,” he explains. “The family thought they were being chased – seeing shadows, hearing voices – but it was their stove leaking gas. If they hadn’t called us, they might have died.”
This mix of faith and rigorous research is what distinguishes Rick.
He does not chase demons for reviews, nor mocked those who have had experiences. He runs a line – sometimes slowly, certainly – but always stable between curiosity and compassion.
“I follow a very humanistic approach,” he adds. “If a spirit is aggressive, they might be just scared. Maybe they are used to being in control of that space. You talk to them. You don’t pronounce them on camera for clicking.”
The journey of Rick Hale, from the diagnosis of cancer to a advocate for disabled ghost hunters is not just about spirits. It’s about grit. It’s about fighting for a place in a world that sometimes forgets that we all have a story – alive or death.
“Everyone belongs,” he says. “Black, white, gay, straight, handicapped, competent. This phenomenon – whatever it is – touches us all. And we all have the right to be part of exploring.”
Have you experienced as a personal with a handicap that explores the paranormal? Tell us your opinion in the comments sections below!
Below you can listen to Rick Hale interview on YouTube or Listen to our podcast.
Listen to Rick Hale talks about the disabled and ghost hunting
