Stefanie Spielman, who took her battle with breast cancer public with the help of her husband Chris Spielman, died today at the age of 42.
Stefanie was 30 when she learned she had cancer, and she told Chris she wanted to use his fame as a Pro Bowl linebacker to educate people about the disease.
“Tell them I have breast cancer,” she recalled telling her husband, per the Columbus Dispatch. “It may make one guy go home and say: ‘Honey, my favorite football player’s wife has breast cancer. You got to remember to make that mammogram appointment.’ ”
Chris played from 1988 to 1995 for the Detroit Lions and 1996 and 1997 with the Buffalo Bills. He sat out the 1998 season to help Stefanie and their children cope with her illness, then returned in 1999 with the Cleveland Browns. He retired before the 1999 regular season after suffering a neck injury.
Stefanie battled cancer throughout her 30s, and found out in March of this year that it had come back for a fifth time. She said her attitude throughout her fight with cancer was, “I cannot let this get the best of me, and I will not let this ruin the rest of my life no matter how long it is.”
Stefanie is survived by Chris and their four children: 15-year-old Madison, 13-year-old Noah, 8-year-old Macy, and 7-year-old Audrey. She is also survived by her mother and three sisters.
In 1998 Stefanie started the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research.
[Editor’s note: I arrived home roughly an hour ago after picking up my son at basketball practice, ate dinner with my family, and then pulled up the site to see the latest news. My head dropped, my heart sank, and my stomach churned when I saw the news regarding Stefanie Spielman. Chris and his brother, Rick, are two of the very finest men associated with the sport of football, and my deepest condolences and prayers extend tonight to Chris, Rick, and their families.]
