News
Article
Author(s):
From Fortnight player, “Ninja” announcing his melanoma diagnosis to an LSU quarterback sporting the name of his teammate with brain cancer, here’s what’s going on in the oncology space this week.
Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, announced on X (the social media platform formerly known as Twitter) that he received a diagnosis of melanoma. The diagnosis came after a suspicious mole was noticed during a routine dermatologist check-up.
“There was a mole on the bottom of my foot that they wanted to remove just to be careful. It came back as melanoma, but they are optimistic that we caught it in the early stages,” the 32-year-old wrote.
Blevins is gained fame as a Fortnite gamer on Twitch, an interactive livestreaming service, on which he has more than 19 million followers — many of whom took to social media to wish him well. “Sending the best vibes your way!” Canadian Twitch streamer, Nick Eh 30 commented on Blevins’ post.
Gunnar Peterson, a celebrity trainer, announced on Mar. 27 via Instagram that his 4-year-old daughter received a diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia.
He revealed that his daughter, Monroe Vivian Peterson, received the diagnosis shortly after she experienced a cough and fever, which he said was everyday “kid stuff.”
“Our perfect 4-year-old daughter, Monroe Vivian Peterson (MVP, see that?!) had a nagging cough, on and off fever, and an odd pallor to her for a few days last week. Typical kid stuff,” Peterson wrote on Instagram.
He noted that his wife noticed “odd” bruises on their daughter’s legs, especially because she had not been active.
“Fast forward four days: white blood cell count [knocked out]. Platelets in the toilet. Hemoglobin number lower than a soccer game final. Hematocrit front row on the struggle bus. Needs immediate transfusion(s). Has to have bone marrow biopsy. Flow cytometry. Spinal tap(s). Chemotherapy,” Peterson wrote. “And finally, Make-A-Wish candidate.”
Peterson asked others for thoughts and prayers as he and his family “navigate the nightmare” together.
“Our Warrior Princess will crush this!” he wrote in the same post. “She has even said it herself!”
Jayden Daniels, a quarterback for Louisiana State University, honored his teammate, Greg Brooks, who received a brain cancer diagnosis in September 2023.
Daniels wore a long-sleeved purple shirt with Brooks’ name and jersey number during LSU’s pro day. Because Brooks had missed most of his senior season at LSU due to his diagnosis, Daniels decided to honor him thoughtfully.
“Obviously, if Greg were here, he’d be a part of this. He’s not here, but he’s here in spirit and I’m here to rep him,” Daniels told ESPN.
Daniels’ coach at LSU, Brian Kelly, noted that Daniels’ tribute emphasized his character.
“He’s thinking outside of just Jayden Daniels. He’s thinking about one of his teammates that he holds in high regard,” Kelly also told ESPN. “And that’s the way he’s been since he’s gotten here. He’s always thinking about his teammates first.”
For more news on cancer updates, research and education, don’t forget to subscribe to CURE®’s newsletters here.