This has been quite a week for Pittsburgh running back James Conner. He received his first round of treatment for Hodgkin Lymphoma on Tuesday.
On Thursday, news broke that Pittsburgh's athletic department would cover all costs for medical treatment not covered by his family's insurance. Then Friday, Conner received this pretty cool get well soon card from former President Bill Clinton.
It turns out Clinton was in Pittsburgh for a presidential fundraiser for his wife, Hillary. Pitt student Jesse Irwin attended the fundraiser and decided he would ask Bill Clinton to sign the card during a meet and greet. When Irwin asked, he was surprised to know that Clinton knew all about Conner.
"My dad and I talked about it the night before, and said, 'Wouldn't it be cool if we brought a card and got him to write a note to James?'" Irwin recalled in a phone interview. "It meant a lot to James. I saw him this morning. You can see how a message from someone outside the Pitt community can pick up your spirit. I'm happy to see it picked him up more."
Irwin, a senior involved in student media at Pitt, comes from a place of experience. During his freshman year, he was hospitalized for three months with digestive issues, and ultimately underwent surgery. "Any support you can get it is so important," Irwin said. "I was at this event to meet President Clinton, and it was an opportunity to do something nice for James. I'm happy he's benefited from it."
Conner, who missed 11 games this season with a knee injury, announced last week that he was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma. Conner will undergo chemotherapy sessions every other week for six months. Doctors said the cure rate for Conner's condition is 85-95 percent.
Since the diagnosis, Conner has spoken with Chiefs safety Eric Berry, who recently returned to football after battling lymphoma. Conner also has received widespread support from athletes and coaches across the country, and former Penguins star Mario Lemieux, who also beat the disease.
But the cancer has not slowed him down. Conner attended practice Friday morning, wearing his Pitt jersey.
http://espn.go.com/blog/acc/post/_/id/89298/james-conner-receives-get-well-card-from-bill-clinton
On Thursday, news broke that Pittsburgh's athletic department would cover all costs for medical treatment not covered by his family's insurance. Then Friday, Conner received this pretty cool get well soon card from former President Bill Clinton.
It turns out Clinton was in Pittsburgh for a presidential fundraiser for his wife, Hillary. Pitt student Jesse Irwin attended the fundraiser and decided he would ask Bill Clinton to sign the card during a meet and greet. When Irwin asked, he was surprised to know that Clinton knew all about Conner.
"My dad and I talked about it the night before, and said, 'Wouldn't it be cool if we brought a card and got him to write a note to James?'" Irwin recalled in a phone interview. "It meant a lot to James. I saw him this morning. You can see how a message from someone outside the Pitt community can pick up your spirit. I'm happy to see it picked him up more."
Irwin, a senior involved in student media at Pitt, comes from a place of experience. During his freshman year, he was hospitalized for three months with digestive issues, and ultimately underwent surgery. "Any support you can get it is so important," Irwin said. "I was at this event to meet President Clinton, and it was an opportunity to do something nice for James. I'm happy he's benefited from it."
Conner, who missed 11 games this season with a knee injury, announced last week that he was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma. Conner will undergo chemotherapy sessions every other week for six months. Doctors said the cure rate for Conner's condition is 85-95 percent.
Since the diagnosis, Conner has spoken with Chiefs safety Eric Berry, who recently returned to football after battling lymphoma. Conner also has received widespread support from athletes and coaches across the country, and former Penguins star Mario Lemieux, who also beat the disease.
But the cancer has not slowed him down. Conner attended practice Friday morning, wearing his Pitt jersey.
http://espn.go.com/blog/acc/post/_/id/89298/james-conner-receives-get-well-card-from-bill-clinton
