Ron Rivera Cancer Update: Washington Football Coach Officially Cancer-Free!
Washington Football Team coach Ron Rivera Is officially free from cancer.
The development was confirmed by his daughter Courtney Rivera, who tweeted on Thursday: "Thank you for all the love and prayers just got off the phone with mom and dad leaving the hospital @RiverboatRonHC is officially cancer-free!!!"
Ron's wife, Stephanie, also tweeted, "Prayers have been answered. Thx to all the Drs & nurses who 'Coached up' @RiverboatRonHC and me and gave us the winning game plan to defeat cancer."
She added, "The PET scan said it all, cancer, you lost this fight! #RiveraStrong"
Ron Rivera's Cancer Battle
In August 2020, the Washington Football Team announced via their official Twitter page that Rivera was diagnosed with lymph node cancer, particularly squamous cell carcinoma.
At the time, Ron said that the cancer was in the early stages and is considered "very treatable and curable."
Fast forward to October 2020, he completed the treatment for squamous cell carcinoma treatment and was able to ring the bell at Inova hospital in Northern Virginia to celebrate his accomplishment.
He missed some practice when he was undergoing chemotherapy and even left a session early because of his treatment's side effects. However, Ron never missed an NFL game, ever. He did admit that he was close to stopping one week early in the season but ended up pushing through.
Before the game in October when the Washington Football Team lost to the Baltimore Ravens, Ron Rivera took IV fluids and could be seen sitting on the bench during TV timeouts.
Over the course of the entire NFL game, he was also seen staying hydrated because of the constant reminders.
During an interview with Washington Post, Ron Rivera explained that coaching through cancer treatments is a real tough battle.
"It's a struggle. It's interesting. I have my moments where I felt pretty strong and felt good enough to get up and walk up and down the sidelines."
However, he admitted that there were also times that he "wane a little bit." There were also times he needed to use a golf cart during practice because his energy level diminished.
Despite the difficulties, the coach said he wanted "to be there" for his team. Some players were also seen wearing shirts that read "Rivera Strong" during the pre-game warmups.
Ron also expressed how his spirits were lifted when they saw a part of the stands filled with cardboard cutouts of him purchased by friends and family to support him during that difficult period in his life.
