HELP PETE NOCHTA BATTLE LYMPHOMA

Mark BlankenbakerJune 15, 2015

Cardinal fans are sure to remember Pete Nochta as a Tight End for the Cards and spent last season coaching the tight ends. Pete helped recruit a lot of top guys to Floyd Street and is a Cardinal forever. I spent some time talking to Pete at Louisville’s Spring Game this April and he is a top notch person.

This May, however, Pete got some terrible news that man in his mid-20s should never have to deal with:

“On Thursday, May 14, Pete went in for a biopsy where they removed a portion of a painful tumor from his knee. In less than a week, he was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. “Cancer” is a scary word. After numerous tests that involved various scans and bone marrow being extracted from his pelvis, he was given his prognosis. Less than two weeks from his original diagnosis he was told that he has the Activated B-Cell subtype of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma.

Lymphoma occurs when cells of the immune system called lymphocytes grow and multiply uncontrollably. Cancerous lymphocytes can travel to many parts of the body, including the lymph nodes, spleen, bone marrow, blood, or other organs, and form a tumor. Lymphoma is an aggressive and fast-growing cancer and immediate treatment is incredibly important. The locations where Pete’s cancer was found determined that his case was considered “Stage 4”.

Because the cancer has rapidly spread from his knee to other areas,including his femur, pelvis, chest and neck, a port was surgically inserted into his chest so that the chemotherapy medication can go directly into his heart to attack the cancer near his vital organs.

Whether you know Pete through school, his time playing football at UofL, coaching at Purdue, WKU and Louisville, working at TEKsystems, or met him once, you know that he will continue to fight through his chemo treatments and beat this disease with his support system by his side. Cancer doesn’t only come with emotional stress but also a huge financial burden.

Any size donation helps and is greatly appreciated.”

Anyone who would like to lend a hand to Pete while fighting Lymphoma can help him out by donating to his Go Fund Me Page, or by purchasing a $10 Bravelet. Every little bit helps CardNation, your generosity helping Pete in this matter would be greatly appreciated.