And Parsons vowed to fight through it. We can only hope he succeeds.
Though I’m not the biggest fan of his commentary, there’s a time and place for that, and this is neither. It’s tough to see anyone go through the difficult process of chemotherapy, and it must be especially tough for someone to do so in the public eye.
At the same time, that could also be uplifting. The PR releases that I read had Parsons’ work e-mail on it, and responses are likely flowing in. That can help buoy someone through a time when they most need the support.
We’ve all been touched by cancer at one point or another. Though both of my grandfathers passed away before I was born, my maternal grandmother remarried. Her second husband was the only grandfather I’ve ever known, and he passed away from cancer in 1995.
My aunt developed breast cancer just before my senior year of high school and died just during the opening week of football practice. I remember the date because I couldn’t make the funeral in Richmond; instead, when time allowed, I’d stare at the clear blue sky and wonder why something so insidious had to happen to a person that was so kind.
Cancer has touched us all in some way, whether through someone we know or, as racing buffs, through Benny Parsons. The hard part for him is just beginning, but we can all pray that he pulls through.