Rep. John Lewis says he has been diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer.
BREAKING: John Lewis, congressman from Georgia and civil rights leader, says he has pancreatic cancer and that he will continue serving while being treated.
— The Associated Press (@AP) December 29, 2019
From CNN:
There are a lot of people wishing him well after the terrible news:
John Lewis is a giant—an icon of the civil rights movement, a leader in Congress and one of the kindest people I know.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) December 29, 2019
I’m praying for a speedy and full recovery. We need you making good trouble in the halls of Congress!
John Lewis is a living example of strength that America needs now more than ever. We will be pulling for him and praying for him and his family as he battles cancer with his characteristic grace and courage.
— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) December 29, 2019
News that congressman and civil rights hero John Lewis has cancer strikes hard. I’ve known John for over 50 years and he’s always been a fighter, undeterred.
— Dan Rather (@DanRather) December 29, 2019
More from CNN:
Lewis, 79, said he was diagnosed following a routine medical visit with subsequent tests that reconfirmed the diagnosis. The long-time Georgia congressman will undergo treatment for the cancer.
“I have been in some kind of fight — for freedom, equality, basic human rights — for nearly my entire life. I have never faced a fight quite like the one I have now,” Lewis, who in March 1965 joined forces with Martin Luther King Jr. to lead a voting rights march out out Selma, Alabama, said in a statement.
He continued later: “While I am clear-eyed about the prognosis, doctors have told me that recent medical advances have made this type of cancer treatable in many cases, that treatment options are no longer as debilitating as they once were, and that I have a fighting chance.”
We definitely disagree with Lewis politically, but we hope he beats this horrible disease. Stage four pancreatic cancer has a very small recovery percentage. I hope we can all be respectful about his diagnosis in the comments.