Favre Visits Pediatric Patient

Five-year-old Anderson Butzine, diagnosed in 2006 with ependymoma (a rare brain tumor), got his holiday wish when NFL quarterback Brett Favre walked through his door. On Dec. 17, Favre and his wife, Deanna, visited the Butzine home in Oconomowoc, Wis. During the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears game, Favre wore a towel printed with a backwards No. 4 to honor Butzine because Butzine’s illness causes him to write backwards. The visit is described on their website (www.caringbridge.org/visit/andersonbutzine): “You all know that our most heartfelt desire is for Anderson’s healing, but having the opportunity for Anderson to meet Brett Favre has been a wish of ours for such a long time.”

Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine bared all in the February U.K. edition of Cosmopolitan to raise awareness for prostate and testicular cancer as part of the Everyman centerfold. Levine’s girlfriend lends a strategically placed hand. The campaign, which encourages other men to be aware of the symptoms of male cancers, started in 2001 and has included Ewan McGregor and Lenny Kravitz.

British actor Pete Postlethwaite died of cancer Jan. 2 in a hospital in Shropshire, England. He was previously diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer. A character actor, perhaps best known for his gaunt facial features, Postlethwaite had a long list of film credits, including The Usual Suspects and his Oscar-nominated role in In the Name of the Father. Postlethwaite most recently appeared in Clash of the Titans, Inception and The Town.

Dave Rose, head coach of Brigham Young University basketball team, is hoping to lead his No. 3 seed Cougars to a national championship in the NCAA Tournament in March. In June 2009, Rose was diagnosed with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, a rare but treatable form of cancer. After undergoing surgery to remove the tumor, he is now considered cancer-free.