In Memory of Leroy Sievers, 1955-2008
Many of you got to know Leroy Sievers through our recent Living with Cancer broadcast and town meeting. He was a great friend and colleague to all of us at Discovery, and it is with sadness that I tell you Leroy lost his battle with cancer late Friday night. He was at home with his wife, Laurie.
As some of you already know, Leroy continued to update his NPR blog, "My Cancer," until his last days. Leroy touched thousands of cancer survivors by sharing his daily experiences with the disease in a typically blunt manner, encouraging others to do the same with a subject that was once taboo.
Not only has Leroy left an indelible mark on the fight against cancer, but he was also a remarkable broadcast journalist, having covered over a dozen wars in his years with CBS and ABC. As one of my former colleagues pointed out recently, Leroy's booming belly laugh was his calling card in every newsroom in which he worked. That laugh, along with Leroy's friendship and enthusiasm for life, will be missed greatly.
Ted Koppel
Managing Editor, Discovery Channel
Leroy Sievers Memorial Fund
Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center
Patient and Family Services
100 N. Charles Street
Suite 234
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
More than 10 million Americans are living with cancer. As early detection has become more prevalent and as treatments have become more effective, many cancer survivors are finding that they can treat their cancer as a chronic disease.
In a live town hall meeting at Discovery Communications headquarters, Ted Koppel will be joined by Elizabeth Edwards, wife of presidential candidate John Edwards; Lance Armstrong, seven-time Tour de France champion; and Leroy Sievers, Koppel's longtime executive producer and friend — each of whom will discuss their experience with coping with a cancer diagnosis.
The panel will interact with an audience comprised entirely of people living with cancer, their loved ones and the professionals who care for them. Immediately prior to the town meeting, Discovery Channel will broadcast a series of Koppel's conversations with Sievers and Armstrong.
As colleagues for more than 15 years, Koppel and Sievers have covered news events in hotspots around the world, including the war zones of , Kosovo, Somalia and Iraq. They are also neighbors and close friends. Six years ago, Sievers was diagnosed with colon cancer and was treated successfully. In December of 2005, doctors discovered that the cancer had returned, spreading to Sievers' brain and lungs.
Shortly after the diagnosis, he agreed to allow Koppel to document his battle with the disease. In Koppel on Discovery: Living with Cancer, Koppel and Sievers discuss what it's like to face the prospect of dying, as well as the highs and lows that come with living with cancer.
Sievers recounts how cancer has affected his personal relationships, his professional life and simple day-to-day activities. He also jokes that cancer has been his greatest career move yet — throughout the program, Sievers reads from his popular blog on NPR.org, "My Cancer," through which he has created a unique and expanding online community.
In his discussion with Koppel, Armstrong speaks candidly and even credits cancer with contributing to the full, rich life that he leads today. Looking back on his 1996 diagnosis, Armstrong recalls the pain of watching his mother react to the heartbreaking news that her only child had a 50/50 chance of surviving the disease. He describes the grueling nature of the chemotherapy he received, and reflects on the competition that arose between him and his cancer, as well as his triumphant return to professional cycling.
