In Memory of Stefanie Spielman & In Support of Her Cause

I am sitting here right now both humbled and saddened as I type this post, having just heard the news of Stefanie Spielman’s passing and then spending a good part of my early morning reading up on her story.

There were a variety of options for morning posts today, but everything else seemed woefully insignificant when stacked up against the story of Stefanie Spielman.

If you are unfamiliar with Stefanie, she was the wife of Ohio State legend Chris Spielman. She was also a woman who spent more than decade of her life dedicated to leading the fight against breast cancer and to helping improve the lives of those who were living with the disease and their families.

Unfortunately, breast cancer claimed the life of Stefanie Spielman yesterday. She was 42 years old.

Over 11 years ago, when Stefanie was just 30 years old, she discovered a lemon-sized lump in her breast during a routine self-examination. After mentioning the lump to her doctor, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

At 30 years old.

Chris Spielman, then an NFL linebacker after his stellar career as a Buckeye, took a year off from the game to support Stefanie and their family during her treatment.

Chris and Stefanie were very outspoken and public about her battle with breast cancer, which drew a great deal of attention to them and to the broader cause of fighting a disease so nefarious that it could prematurely claim a life as beautiful as Stefanie’s.

Follow this link for more background on Stefanie’s story.

Soon after Stefanie’s diagnosis, the Spielman’s partnered with a local grocery store to raise money for The James Cancer Hospital. It did not take long, however, for the entire state of Ohio to pick up the slack and join the fight. Within six months — six months — The Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research had raised over $1 million.

Since Stefanie’s diagnosis in 1999, the Spielmans have helped raise over $6.5 million for breast cancer research and patient support.

What an amazing testament to Stefanie’s grace and courage in the face of such a daunting disease, as well as Chris’ character and commitment to his wife, family, and community. This really is an incredible story of two incredible people and I simply wanted to take a few minutes this morning to share it.

Last month, we turned our site pink in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, as did many other blogs, websites, and organizations. But October certainly is not the only month when we should be thinking about helping to support such causes.

Breast cancer is a cause I feel strongly about because it has touched my family. Sadly, the stats say that it will touch all of our families at some point in our lives.

In honor of Stefanie Spielman, I am donating what I can this morning to both her breast cancer research fund and her fund for patient assistance. I tell you this only in hopes that it might help inspire you to do the same.

(And a quick note regarding donating that I did not realize/think about beforehand: you will receive a donation verification from Ohio State University in January that will allow you to receive tax benefits. Not that this should be a reason to donate, but if every dollar matters for you as it does for me, this at least makes a donation a little easier to absorb.)

To end this post, I will leave you with a roundup of links about Stefanie, Chris, and their story. Spend a few minutes this morning learning about Stefanie Spielman; you will marvel at what she accomplished over the last decade while fighting breast cancer.

And guys, from what I’ve gathered this morning, whether you donate to her fund or not, I think that there is one thing each of us can do to truly honor the memory of Stefanie Spielman: remind someone that we love to get their routine breast examinations.

There is no greater weapon in the fight against breast cancer than early detection.

Donate to the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research

Donate to the Stefanie Spielman Patient Assistance Fund

For more information:

• Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research
• Learn more about Stefanie’s Champions, which celebrates people like her husband Chris, who provide loving and unwavering support to breast cancer patients.
• In Memory of Stefanie photo gallery
• Ohio State Eye on Alumni interview segments with Stefanie Spielman
• Chris Spielman bio

Thank you for indulging me this morning in something a bit more serious than what we typically cover here at MSF. I think it was a more than worthwhile use of our collective time and hopefully you agree.

Rest in peace Stefanie Spielman. To Chris and the Spielman family, the thoughts, prayers, and condolences of Midwest Sports Fans everywhere are with you.

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* – Chris and Stefanie Spielman photo credit: Ohio State Medical Center

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