PHOENIX – A Valley couple was at center stage before the players hit the field, advocating for cancer patients and survivors and letting them know they’re not alone.
Local perspective:
Cancer touches many lives and it hits hard every time. Rhonda Cagle had already lost her first husband to pancreatic cancer when she herself was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer nine years ago.
“That late stage diagnosis really limited my options in terms of treatment,” Rhonda Cagle said. “And Lorenzo and I had recently married and all of a sudden I’m fighting this disease and I know what his seat is like and I was determined to fight and determined to win.”
Her now husband, Lorenzo Cagle, helped her fight the disease.
Rhonda is now celebrating nine years cancer-free. But Lorenzo himself is now battling prostate cancer.
“I’ve been getting prostate cancer checks since my 30s,” Lorenzo Cagle said. “And because I’ve been checking consistently, when I was diagnosed it was extremely early, so I have options in how I want to treat it.”
The two are now advocating with Cigna Health and the American Cancer Society for preventative cancer screenings at the Arizona Cardinals game. The couple served as honorary team captains and helped with the coin toss.
What they’re saying:
“I just thank the NFL, Cardinals and Cigna for putting a strong face on cancer prevention,” Lorenzo Cagle said. “Being out on the field is going to be a dream come true. I’m going to try to soak in every single millisecond of it.”
“To be here today, to be part of making these memories and having these moments, I’m incredibly grateful for my medical team, my husband, but I’m also grateful for Cigna Healthcare and the Cardinals for bringing such attention to the fact that early detection saves lives,” Rhonda Cagle added.
They are also encouraging cancer patients and their families to never give up, because there is always hope.
“There is another side to the story, and the only way to get there is get through it,” Rhonda Cagle said. “But with a great team you do get through it and you get to write another chapter of your story.”
The Source: This information was gathered by FOX 10’s Irene Snyder, who spoke with the Cagle’s on Oct. 5.