Inspirational Super Bowl Story Hits Home

We all love the Patriots. All of New England does. But it doesn't end there. I have a niece in Ontario, Canada who is a journalist. Her husband is an artist. Here's her inspirational story about the victory.

How The Patriots saved my husband’s life

By Natalie Hamilton

Tom Brady and The New England Patriots did much more in our household than win the Super Bowl.

They helped save my husband’s life.

Mental focus, determination, perseverance and physical strength are required to net the National Football League’s highly-coveted prize.
Like The Patriots, Andrew had to draw on and utilize these similar traits.

The news came a year ago Feb. 10.

He has throat cancer.

The surreal diagnosis was gut-wrenching.

Amidst the tears, terror, anger, soul-searching and prayers, we needed a new place to live.

The team of oncologists at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto acted promptly, determining Andrew would need 35 consecutive weekday radiation treatments and three chemotherapy sessions in the span of seven weeks.

We left home and moved into a Leslieville condo but spent most of our time at the hospital. From day one, which encompassed the first chemotherapy treatment, Andrew had a plethora of side effects. This unfortunately became the norm for him of treatment. He was very sick.

I could paint a picture but it’s too frightening for you to read.

When we returned home three-and-a-half months later, Andrew’s energy levels were still very low. Recovery was slow. Some days, there was just enough in the tank to watch TV.

Football began. Brady was out and so was Andrew.

The team was still dealing with Deflategate, a controversy stemming from an allegation that New England used under inflated footballs in the American Football Conference Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts on Jan. 18, 2015.

The Patriots were the subject of many a wisecrack and faced scrutiny by sports fans and the NFL.

The team needed to embark on its own journey towards recovery. Redemption wasn’t easy.

It required that mental focus, dogged determination and physical fitness mentioned above. Andrew had to do the same. He remarked during Sunday's epic game how his own journey was similar to his team's.

My husband’s sole focus was getting through each moment of each day. As one of his oncologists said, he had a job to do. And, when he couldn’t possibly be sicker, he got sicker.

But for those who know Andrew, he’s brutally stubborn. It played in his favor because he needed every ounce of obstinacy to stay in the game.

Like Brady, Andrew had a team supporting him. Three main doctors, countless nurses and other healthcare professionals collaboratively managed his care.

His determination to win never waned. Kinda like Brady’s. Andrew endured. He battled and he won. Things now, for the most part, look promising.

For Andrew, following his team gave him an outlet to escape and not think about cancer or how bad he felt. And as they got better, he got better.

It was so perfectly fitting the team beat the odds and won Sunday’s Super Bowl. Even more so, they made a 21-point comeback -- the biggest come-from-behind win in Super Bowl history.

Andrew’s on his way to making a comeback of his own. Hopefully, with continued medical care and prayers, his cancer will also be history.