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Tampa man's emotional story airs on 'Intervention'

Photo from A&E

Bret Cansler talks with his ex-wife, Amaya, as she comforts their son Kyle after the family confronted Bret about his drinking.

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By WALT BELCHER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 14, 2009

Updated: 07/14/2009 05:16 pm

A cable TV show about a Tampa father finally getting sober for his two children and then dying from cancer is getting a strong reaction from viewers.

Bret Cansler's struggle with alcoholism was featured on the A&E reality program "Intervention" on Monday night and can still be viewed online at aetv.com.

The series designed to show extreme measures taken to deal with addiction was filled with dramatic scenes of Cansler's young children, Kelsey and Kyle, pleading with him to get help.

After the program aired, more than 1,000 searched his name and read his story at TBO.com. Viewers from throughout the country who didn't known Cansler began leaving messages of condolence on his guestbook at Legacy.com.

For example, Scott Hopkins, of San Diego, wrote: "I was deeply moved by your family's emotional and persistent struggle to help Bret. It was most courageous of you to share your story on camera … may you find comfort in knowing that many will be helped every time your story airs."

Cansler, who grew up in Tampa and went to Plant High School, was a successful commercial real estate broker with a wife and two children. He was well known in South Tampa where he was president of Bayshore Little League.

On the series, taped in March, he recalled that just having a couple of drinks "took off the edge" and eased his anxiety. But he couldn't stop with just two. He would drink until he passed out.

His ex-wife, Amaya, his daughter Kelsey, and his mother, Carol, also were featured on the program. They told of how Cansler was a good husband, father and son. And also told of how alcohol destroyed him and his career.

Carol Cansler said Tuesday that the family has decided not to comment on the program.

Family friend Gayln Johnson, who also appeared on the A&E program, says that she had tried to help Cansler dry out several times. But he would drink while in rehab.

"There are two Brets," she said on the program. "There's the sweet Bret. There's the really dark side of Bret when he's alone, crying, sad, drunk."

Johnson said Tuesday that she saw "Intervention" for the first time last August and it inspired her to write a four-page letter to the producers on behalf of Cansler. "I think God was at work in this," she said. "I call it 'divine intervention' because there were forces at work here greater than ourselves."

The program recounted the family's attempt at an intervention last year with Cansler going into a detoxification program. But three days after treatment he went back to drinking.

The Canslers divorced 16 months ago and a month later Bret lost his job as a mortgage broker, according to the program. On the show, Amaya said that she feared his "rock bottom would be death."

After years of heavy drinking, Cansler began throwing up blood. The program warned viewers excessive alcohol use can cause cancer of the mouth, throat and esophagus.

Johnson said that Cansler did not realize he had cancer during the March taping.

After the family threatened to take legal action, he agreed to enter treatment again. He spent 80 days in rehab at Hope by the Sea in California when he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. He came back to Tampa to be with his family and receive treatment for his illness. He was sober for 104 days before he died of esophageal cancer, according to the program.

Dan Partland, executive producer of "Intervention," said the response to Monday's episode as been overwhelming. "We are close to having complete 100 episodes and this one was different because the drama was very explosive," he said. "And Bret was a very relatable. He was the guy next door. There was nothing outrageous about him and it shows that anyone can have demons that for whatever reason drive them to addiction."

Partland added that Cansler is only the second person featured on "Intervention" to have died after taping the episode.

"And what makes this story so memorable are the comments from the family that we taped for the closing," he said. "We see that they were able to get him back long enough to say goodbye.

Cansler's friend Johnson says she is "glad that he was able to pull it together for his kids. Kelsey is the most talented, beautiful girl you can imagine and Kyle is amazingly talented and they got to see their dad sober."

"I am proud that Bret was about to hit a home run there and knock it out of the ballpark," she said. "It will serve a greater purpose of the program serves as a wake up call to someone who needs help."

Reporter Walt Belcher can be reached at (813) 259-7654

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