LEARN MORE ATLEARN www.mdanderson.org/gifts SURVIVORS SAY Video: http://bit.ly/2l80BBj into Sports the Broadcasting Hall of Fame. November 2016.In 2016,he was inducted December MD Anderson’s anniversary celebration 75th in his determination with some 2,000supporters at show, vowing he would never give up. He shared Perseverance Award at ESPN’s annual ESPYs awards was diagnosed in2014. was diagnosed developed apassion for findingcure a forwhen AML he of bright and colorfully garnished suits and jackets, Sager role as asideline reporter for NBA the and his collection outlets including CNN,TBSand TNT. known for Best his leukemia (AML)research at MDAnderson. Sager Strong Foundation, supports which acute myeloid Antonio Spurs game, where $80,000was for raised the Sager’s death. It preceded aHouston Rockets-San BY KATRINA BURTON patients to‘nevergiveup’ PediDome spaceinspiresyoung COURTCRAIG’S playing undergoing while basketball cancer treatment. PediDome, where young patients can spendtime dedicated space at the Hoglund the Foundation T In July 2016,Sager accepted Jimmy the V For 25years, Sager covered for sports multiple media eventThe coincidedwiththe first anniversary of I wasreceivingworld-classtreatment. enough howhisattitudeimpressed meandgaveconfidencethat with colleaguesbeforemakinga finaldecision.Icannotemphasize inability toswallow. Again,hetoldmethatplannedtoconsult the firstoperationtryingtounderstand whatmighthavecausedmy cancer. IwasagainturnedovertoDr. Rice.Hespentdaysfollowing biggest concernfordoctorsatMD Anderson. turned meovertoanotherteam.Irealizedthatpatientsaretrulythe endoscopic treatments.IchosethelatterandDr. Rice’s teamreadily consensus thatmycancercouldbeeliminatedbyeithersurgeryor retirement years. and would,becuredofcancerthatIcouldbegintoplanformy devise optimaltreatmentplans. of esophagealdoctors.Oncehehadalltheinformation,would work andCTscans,thathewouldbringmycasebeforeagroup could arise.Mostimportant,hetoldmeaboutthefollowingblood section. Hetoldmeabouttherisksandpossiblecomplicationsthat stomach andattachit,alongwithpartofmyesophagus,totheother remove thecanceroustissueinmyesophagusandthenpullup David Rice,carefullyexplained,inlayman’s terms,howhewould courageous cancerfightersacrossCentral Texas. received theCattlemenforCancerResearchSurvivorAward, whichhonors professor fornearly40yearsatSouthwesternUniversity. LastOctober, Purdy Esophageal cancersurvivorJessePurdy, ofGeorgetown,Texas, wasapsychology Children’s Cancer Hospital. 14ceremony ADec. lives on at Craig’s at Court MD Anderson of latehe the legacy reporter sports Craig Sager These discussions led to a second operation that determined These discussionsledtoasecond operationthatdetermined Unfortunately, theendoscopictreatmentdidnot eradicatemy A fewweekslater, Ireceivedacall.Thegrouphadcometothe This approachgavemeagreatdealofconfidencethatIcould, I firstcametoMD AndersoninAugust2016.Myphysician,Dr. Children’s CancerHospital. at theHoglundPediDome atMD Anderson attendees atthededicationofCraig’s Court Naveen Pemmaraju, M.D., addresses that savedmylife. It ispreciselythisscenariothatI have experiencedfirsthandand information thatultimatelyleads to actionsthatsavepatients’lives. panic butratherleadtocarefulreflection andacquisitionofmore whose actions,whensurgeriesdo notgoasplanned,doinstill and mealiveforyearstocome. remaining esophagusandbuildabloodsupplytokeepthesystem surgeon Dr. MatthewHanasonotoconnectthesmallintestine system. This14-hoursurgeryrequiredDr. Rice andreconstructive esophagus. AthirdoperationinMayreconstructedmydigestive stomach andmostofmyesophagus,reroutedtheremaining Rice removedmy esophagus. Dr. of mylower with alength to diealong causing it supply and off theblood twisted, cutting had somehow — mystomach figured correctly Dr. Rice had Dr. Riceandhisteampersonifywhatitmeanstobeahero Jesse Purdy Promise invitescancersurvivorstosharetheirreflections. Email [email protected]. Pemmaraju, M.D., left, andNaveen Qazilbash, M.D., far doctors Muzaffar MD Anderson Sager’s of MD Anderson. of Pisters, M.D., president Stacy; andPeter and Ryan; hiswife, Sager’s children Riley the momentwith far right, celebrate

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PHOTO BY BEVERLY DAUGHTRY PHOTOS BY ADOLFO CHAVEZ III