ESPN personality Stuart Scott has openly battled cancer since 2007. He’s been very public about his fight and garnered a lot of support through social media with his positive attitude and inspirational words for others waging the same fight.
Late Monday night, Scott announced his cancer had returned.
The popular anchor broke the news via Twitter and the announcement has already been retweeted nearly 4,000 times as of Tuesday morning:
https://twitter.com/StuartScott/status/290987976622755841
Scott was first diagnosed with “appendiceal cancer” in 2007, according to Touched By Cancer magazine. Scott’s been defiantly optimistic since his diagnosis, telling the magazine in a December, 2011 interview:
“I want to show people there’s a good way to try and deal with this. A positive mental attitude goes a long way in fighting this disease, I’m convinced of that. I’m very blessed. I have a loving family, loving friends and a great job. I can’t say ‘Why me? Why did I get cancer?’ because if I say that, then I also have to ask why I got all these other blessings in life. Stuff happens, and when something bad happens, you’re kind of defined by how you respond to it.”
Shortly following Scott’s latest announcement, the tweets and messages of support came quickly from superstars such as Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant and Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III:
https://twitter.com/StuartScott/status/291009005705383936
https://twitter.com/StuartScott/status/291086054340038656
An ESPN spokesperson told USA TODAY Sports Scott “plans to continue to work the best he can around his treatments.” Scott told his Twitter followers his post-chemotherapy plan will involve either a P90X workout or MMA training.
Scott previously received preventive chemotherapy in 2007 and 2011. In an August, 2011 Orlando Sentinel feature on Scott, writer Shannon Owens described him as an inspiration to cancer patients everywhere:
“Scott is to journalists what Lance Armstrong is to athletes. He’s fighting and excelling during his battle against this ugly disease. More important, he’s showing the world and his two daughters – 16-year-old Taelor and 11-year-old Sydni — that cancer isn’t an excuse to stop living. It’s even more of a reason to start.”
Follow theGrio’s Todd Johnson on Twitter @rantoddj