While the COVID-19 pandemic presents a number frightening challenges to individuals around the globe, ESPN 1000’s Marc Silverman told listeners his next challenge will be beating cancer.
Tuesday evening, the original ESPN 1000 employee and co-host of Waddle & Silvy informed the Chicago audience that he recently learned he has Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. According to Silvy, his form of the disease is thought to be “the most common and the most curable.”
This Friday, the 48-year old Chicago radio host will undergo a procedure to have a port implanted into his chest as he prepares for at least six rounds of chemo which will occur every 21 days.
“The one reason why I want to tell everybody this is because, A – I’ve always been an open book. And B – because I want to talk about it with our fans, friends and on this show with this special bond we have with Tom Waddle, Jeff Meller and Adam Abdalla. Because if I’m not able to share with my closest friends, then I’m going to be a complete wreck,” Silvy said during their Tuesday afternoon show.
As he gets ready to begin chemotherapy, Silvy added that he doesn’t know how his body will handle the treatment, but he’ll rely on the support he gets from the show, station and listeners. Adding to the difficult situation is the COVID-19 pandemic and the precautions medical centers need to take while attempting to slow the spread of the virus. Because of COVID-19 safety measures, Silvy was unable to have his wife at the doctor’s appointment where he first realized he might have cancer, and will also be without her as he undergoes chemo treatments.
Still, Silvy was grateful for all of the frontline healthcare workers he’s encountered, as they risk their lives during the pandemic to save the lives of others, treating people with disease and illness such as himself. “These people are saints,” Silvy said, noting how much the help and care from those workers means to him.
“I know all of us at ESPN 1000 consider you family. You know how much we love you not just as a co-worker, but as family,” Silvy’s co-host Tom Waddle said. “Just know that you’re loved, you are family and you’re not in this fight alone. We’ll do anything necessary to make sure this can go as smoothly and easily as possible for you.”
Brandon Contes is a former reporter for BSM, now working for Awful Announcing. You can find him on Twitter @BrandonContes or reach him by email at Brandon.Contes@gmail.com.
