Owensboro’s Matt Fitzgerald Battles Cancer While Fighting for the Kids of St. Jude
I was driving to Louisville a couple of weeks ago. It was very early on a Saturday morning and I was zipping right along on I-64 when a random text message stopped me in my proverbial tracks. The message was from my buddy Matt Fitzgerald. He, rather unexpectedly, was letting me know that he had just been diagnosed with cancer.
Few people know that Matt hadn't really been feeling well since October. Those issues progressed, worsened, rather quickly. As a matter of fact, on Friday, January 17th, he woke up and could hardly moved. He was admitted to the hospital where he stayed for a few days as doctors ran diagnostic tests, scans, bloodwork, etc. Those scans indicated a mass near the ileam, where the small and large intestines meet.
That mass was extracted and was then sent to the lab. The result- a Neuroendocrine Tumor. Cancer.
Matt and I chatted as I continued my drive and he filled me in on what's next. Treatment. Recovery. And, in typical Matt style, a continued commitment to encouraging and uplifting others.
It's this line of Matt's Facebook post that sticks out most to me, especially on days like this- when WBKR is hosting our annual St. Jude Radiothon.
Matt writes- "Instead of asking what we need or what you can do for us, I ask you to do something nice for someone, tell your family you love them, pay it forward, strive to become selfless, lift up others!"
Just three days after messaging me to tell me had been diagnosed with cancer, Matt messaged me again. This time to say this- "I really want to help out with St. Jude this year. Please. Please. Please!!!"
So, Matt's here. He's joining us in the WBKR Celebrity Phone Bank today at 1pm. He'll join me and Angel on air to help raise money for the children of St. Jude. See, Matt's military. He's a former Marine. He's a fighter. And today he'll be fighting, albeit a bit wounded, for those who don't necessarily have the strength to fight for themselves.
We're going to set a big goal for Matt. And I know him. He'll achieve it. It's what he does. It's who he is. That's why I love him and am so incredibly honored to call him a friend.
If you'd like to hear Matt's story, please tune into the WBKR/Window World St. Jude Radiothon between 1pm and 2pm today. To become a St. Jude Partner-in-Hope, please call 1-800-201-8883 or text WBKR to 626262. Becoming a Partner-in-Hope is easy. It's $20 a month for 12 months on a credit or debit card.
St. Jude founder Danny Thomas said it best, "No child should die in the dawn of life." And it's going to take as many of us as possible to rally behind those children to make sure they don't. And, today, at 1pm, we'll be led by a warrior, who's taking time out from his own battle, to join the fight.