Latest news with #medicaljourney
CBS News
2 days ago
- Health
- CBS News
Deion Sanders reveals bladder cancer diagnosis but says he's considered "cancer free" after treatment
Head Colorado Buffaloes football Coach Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders, along with his medical team, including representatives from CU Anschutz and UCHealth, spoke about his bladder cancer diagnosis on Monday morning for the first 2025 camp news conference. Sanders' doctor confirmed that his bladder was removed after the cancer diagnosis and they proceeded with the creation of a new bladder. She also said that Sanders is currently cancer-free. "We removed the tumor. It was very high-grade and invading through the bladder wall. Not into the muscle layer, something we call very high-risk, non-muscle invasive bladder cancer," said Dr. Janet Kukreja with CU Cancer Center at the University of Colorado Hospital. Sanders appeared in good spirits at the news conference, wearing a cowboy hat and overalls along with his signature sunglasses. "It has been a tremendous journey," said Sanders as he became emotional. "God is good... God is good... You have no idea." "I never once in this journey said, 'God, why me?'" Sanders said that no one knew about his cancer diagnosis, not even the team. He also said he will remain in his position as head coach for the football team. Kukreja said Sanders' outlook was "very good" and that they would keep him on surveillance with routine scans. She said that new bladders are created for patients using their own intestines. There has been speculation about his health after he hadn't been seen in public for some time after the end of spring practice in April. Sanders took to social media last month to say that he was OK. "Coach Prime's Playbook with Romi Bean," featuring Deion Sanders, returns to CBS Colorado in August.
CBS News
2 days ago
- Health
- CBS News
Head Colorado Buffaloes Coach Deion Sanders considered "cancer free" after bladder cancer diagnosis
Head Colorado Buffaloes football Coach Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders, along with his medical team, including representatives from CU Anschutz and UCHealth, spoke about his bladder cancer diagnosis on Monday morning for the first 2025 camp news conference. Sanders' doctor confirmed that his bladder was removed after the cancer diagnosis and they proceeded with the creation of a new bladder. She also said that Sanders is currently cancer-free. Sanders appeared in good spirits at the news conference, wearing a cowboy hat and overalls. "It has been a tremendous journey," said Sanders as he became emotional. "God is good... God is good... You have no idea." "I never once in this journey said, 'God, why me?'" There has been speculation about his health after he hadn't been seen in public for some time after the end of spring practice in April. Sanders took to social media last month to say that he was OK. "Coach Prime's Playbook with Romi Bean," featuring Deion Sanders, returns to CBS Colorado in August.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Man, 26, Who Received Face of 47-Year-Old Donor, Reveals What He Heard During His 3-Month Coma (Exclusive)
In 2018, Joe DiMeo got in a car crash that left his body 80 percent burned. Two years later, he received a historic face and double hand transplant at age 22. His donor was 47 years old Immediately after the accident, Joe was in a three-month coma. In a video for PEOPLE's new 'I Survived' series, he recalls feeling the pain of early burn treatment and having bad dreams while unconscious After his transplant in 2020, Joe met his now-wife, Jessica. She first learned about Joe before they met, when she was studying to become a nurseIn 2018, Joe DiMeo was involved in a car accident that burned 80 percent of his body, changing the trajectory of his life in an instant. However, his resulting medical journey spanned years, beginning with the three months he spent in a coma. Joe, now 26, explains all that led to his historic face and double hand transplant in 2020 in PEOPLE's "I Survived" YouTube series. Though he was unconscious in the immediate aftermath of the crash, the New Jersey resident does remember being able to hear people around him in the hospital. He can also recall the "bad dreams" that accompanied the pain of his earliest burn treatment. "When they take you into the tank room — where they wash you off, take off all the bandages — that's not fun. You can feel the pain. So you're dreaming about pain," he says in the newly released video. 'They're not meaning to torture you, they're just taking off the bandages, but it still hurts.' He was 18 years old at the time of the accident, which occurred early in the morning, just after Joe worked a night shift at his job. He fell asleep at the wheel of his Dodge Challenger and woke up months later in a burn unit. People often ask Joe if he experienced an encounter with the afterlife, and he can describe a memory that resembles the concept. "The only thing I experienced is me walking my dog. He passed away in 2012, 2013," he tells PEOPLE. "I was like, 'Oh, this is it. I'm assuming this is the afterlife, just me walking my dog down an endless hill.'' After a couple more weeks in the burn unit, he moved to a burn rehab facility. Then he returned to his parents' home, where he longed for a sense of independence. Speaking to PEOPLE in February 2025, he remembers feeling like a "20-year-old baby again." "My mom did my laundry, cooked, cleaned, all that stuff, and I just laid on the couch with my dog," said Joe. "That just wasn't for me." In 2019, he met NYU Langone's Dr. Eduardo D. Rodriguez, who deemed Joe a good candidate for a face and double hand transplant. They knew it was a risky operation from the start; it was unsuccessfully attempted on two previous patients. "The first one passed away on the table, and the second one the hands failed," Joe explains in PEOPLE's "I Survived" segment. "But going into any surgery, you can die, so that didn't bother me at all." According to a press release issued by NYU Langone, more than 140 medical personnel were involved in the surgery, which took 23 hours to complete. Both his hands and face came from a 47-year-old donor. "It's not a perfect surgery, and I was making it a perfect surgery in the beginning. But then I realized, you know what, let me be real," Joe says, reflecting on his recovery. Not long after his surgery, Joe met a woman who would later become his wife. Jessica DiMeo heard about him from one of her professors in nursing school, and she watched a documentary made about his transplant. "I remember looking at the picture of him, before and after, and thinking, 'Dang, that sucks. He was a handsome guy.' But that's all I thought," she tells PEOPLE. They connected on Instagram in 2021, when Joe sent Jessica an Instagram message. At first they were involved in a long-distance relationship, but they eventually found themselves in the same place and moved into a home in New Jersey together. The couple — who eloped in Hawaii in December 2024 — regularly deal with judgment from others, especially as they've shared their story with millions of viewers on TikTok and Instagram. But Joe leads with an especially positive outlook, knowing that the worst part of his life led to the best. "It sucks I got into the accident. I lost 80 percent of my skin, and I have someone else's face and hands on me," he tells PEOPLE in his video interview. "But then I also found my life partner, and if I wouldn't have had the accident, I'd probably still be a cocky 26-year-old. I would prefer not to be burned, but I like my life now, just because I have Jessica around." Read the original article on People
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Man, 26, Who Received Face of 47-Year-Old Donor, Reveals What He Heard During His 3-Month Coma (Exclusive)
In 2018, Joe DiMeo got in a car crash that left his body 80 percent burned. Two years later, he received a historic face and double hand transplant at age 22. His donor was 47 years old Immediately after the accident, Joe was in a three-month coma. In a video for PEOPLE's new 'I Survived' series, he recalls feeling the pain of early burn treatment and having bad dreams while unconscious After his transplant in 2020, Joe met his now-wife, Jessica. She first learned about Joe before they met, when she was studying to become a nurseIn 2018, Joe DiMeo was involved in a car accident that burned 80 percent of his body, changing the trajectory of his life in an instant. However, his resulting medical journey spanned years, beginning with the three months he spent in a coma. Joe, now 26, explains all that led to his historic face and double hand transplant in 2020 in PEOPLE's "I Survived" YouTube series. Though he was unconscious in the immediate aftermath of the crash, the New Jersey resident does remember being able to hear people around him in the hospital. He can also recall the "bad dreams" that accompanied the pain of his earliest burn treatment. "When they take you into the tank room — where they wash you off, take off all the bandages — that's not fun. You can feel the pain. So you're dreaming about pain," he says in the newly released video. 'They're not meaning to torture you, they're just taking off the bandages, but it still hurts.' He was 18 years old at the time of the accident, which occurred early in the morning, just after Joe worked a night shift at his job. He fell asleep at the wheel of his Dodge Challenger and woke up months later in a burn unit. People often ask Joe if he experienced an encounter with the afterlife, and he can describe a memory that resembles the concept. "The only thing I experienced is me walking my dog. He passed away in 2012, 2013," he tells PEOPLE. "I was like, 'Oh, this is it. I'm assuming this is the afterlife, just me walking my dog down an endless hill.'' After a couple more weeks in the burn unit, he moved to a burn rehab facility. Then he returned to his parents' home, where he longed for a sense of independence. Speaking to PEOPLE in February 2025, he remembers feeling like a "20-year-old baby again." "My mom did my laundry, cooked, cleaned, all that stuff, and I just laid on the couch with my dog," said Joe. "That just wasn't for me." In 2019, he met NYU Langone's Dr. Eduardo D. Rodriguez, who deemed Joe a good candidate for a face and double hand transplant. They knew it was a risky operation from the start; it was unsuccessfully attempted on two previous patients. "The first one passed away on the table, and the second one the hands failed," Joe explains in PEOPLE's "I Survived" segment. "But going into any surgery, you can die, so that didn't bother me at all." According to a press release issued by NYU Langone, more than 140 medical personnel were involved in the surgery, which took 23 hours to complete. Both his hands and face came from a 47-year-old donor. "It's not a perfect surgery, and I was making it a perfect surgery in the beginning. But then I realized, you know what, let me be real," Joe says, reflecting on his recovery. Not long after his surgery, Joe met a woman who would later become his wife. Jessica DiMeo heard about him from one of her professors in nursing school, and she watched a documentary made about his transplant. "I remember looking at the picture of him, before and after, and thinking, 'Dang, that sucks. He was a handsome guy.' But that's all I thought," she tells PEOPLE. They connected on Instagram in 2021, when Joe sent Jessica an Instagram message. At first they were involved in a long-distance relationship, but they eventually found themselves in the same place and moved into a home in New Jersey together. The couple — who eloped in Hawaii in December 2024 — regularly deal with judgment from others, especially as they've shared their story with millions of viewers on TikTok and Instagram. But Joe leads with an especially positive outlook, knowing that the worst part of his life led to the best. "It sucks I got into the accident. I lost 80 percent of my skin, and I have someone else's face and hands on me," he tells PEOPLE in his video interview. "But then I also found my life partner, and if I wouldn't have had the accident, I'd probably still be a cocky 26-year-old. I would prefer not to be burned, but I like my life now, just because I have Jessica around." Read the original article on People
CTV News
17-06-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Young Sault girl looks to defy the odds once again
June is bike month and for one little girl in Sault Ste. Marie, the chance of being able to ride a bike defies all odds, but its nearly a reality. Leah Sperry, 6, has spent nearly half of her life in a hospital, including all but nine days in her first year. Her mother, Heather, said the 'super spunky, super sweet, and occasionally mischievous' little girl already has been through significantly more than most people due to a variety of medical conditions. 'She was born (weighing) one pound, three months premature,' Heather said. Leah Leah Sperry, 6, has spent nearly half of her life in a hospital, including all but nine days in her first year. (Supplied) Leah2 Leah Sperry, 6, has spent nearly half of her life in a hospital, including all but nine days in her first year. (Supplied) 'She does have cystic fibrosis. She also has a whole host of other medical issues. So she has had congenital heart disease. She has a diaphragm issue. She has bone marrow issues. Her entire intestinal tract does not function properly.' Leah has been a regular patient at Sick Kids in Toronto, undertaking more than 200 surgeries, and has been airlifted by Ornge 29 times, with 17 blood transfusions. She has seen 37 specialists in her 6 ½ years and requires 24/7 care. Heather had to quit her job to look after her child full time and has spent most of her waking minutes by Leah's side. Through it all, Leah has a smile on her face. 'She is the happiest child ... especially with all the pain and procedures and everything that she's been through,' her mom said. 'It's truly remarkable how happy she is.' Leah as a baby Leah has been a regular patient at Sick Kids in Toronto, undertaking more than 200 surgeries, and has been airlifted by Ornge 29 times, with 17 blood transfusions. She has seen 37 specialists in her 6 ½ years and requires 24/7 care. (Supplied) Leah bike A GoFundMe has been created to get Leah a specialized bicycle, called 'Leah's Loves.' (Supplied) Learning to walk and talk has taken years of intensive daily physiotherapy and occupational therapy, but her progress has blown the minds of many professionals. 'It makes you slow down and appreciate the little things, because it wasn't a guarantee that she was going to walk or talk,' Heather said. Now that Leah has passed those two milestones, the ambitious girl has her sights set on riding a bike. 'She so desperately wants to do what other children do, even though she has a lot of limitations,' her mom said. 'She wants to go bike riding with her brother. She wants to be a family and just go outside and have some fun for a little bit.' A GoFundMe has been created to get Leah a specialized bicycle, called 'Leah's Loves.'
