Former South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback Stephen Garcia has provided an important update after revealing that he had been diagnosed with cancer.
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His doctor has told him that he will live to see his grandchildren.
Garcia, 38, provided the information during an appearance on Today. He first provided a backstory about his diagnosis and the symptoms that led to him getting checked.
He said that he had experienced sporadic pain and that he had to frequently use the bathroom after never being "fully emptied."
He said that it got to the point where his wife asked about the bathroom trips, so he went to the doctor.
An ultrasound revealed lesions in his liver, and a colonoscopy revealed that he had cancer. In April, he learned that he had Stage 4 colorectal cancer.
But despite the shocking diagnosis, Garcia told Today that he would not be giving up.
"I wasn't going to sit there and be like, 'Well, I guess I'm done,'" the former SC quarterback said. "You know, it's like, 'All right, what are we gonna do? What's the game plan? How are we gonna beat this thing?'"
The process of fighting the diagnosis involved a call to the father of a quarterback he coaches, who happens to be a cancer surgeon. This surgeon told him that he would grow up to see his grandchildren.
Now, Garcia is preparing for surgery to remove cancerous tissue from his colon and liver after doing aggressive chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
The former South Carolina quarterback has received considerable support since May, when he first announced his diagnosis on Facebook.
"Wasn't overly excited to share this news but it is what it is," he wrote. "We have a great team of doctors and staff that's confident we can beat this! It's the only option. If there's one lesson to be learned, get checked and don't be afraid to visit the doctors office when you don't feel 100%.
"The stuff we consume has been altered significantly over the years and we've been hearing more and more people in this age range are getting diagnosed with these things. We got this and I appreciate all yall!"
