On Wednesday, Jan. 27, 13 ON YOUR SIDE shared the story of a West Michigan doctor who has one dying wish: To attend a Super Bowl. Today, we are glad to report that his wish is coming to fruition – all with the help and support of the community.
Spectrum Health Doctor Brian Lane was diagnosed with cancer in 2018. After radiation treatment and two surgeries, Lane was in remission. However, he received the devastating news in January 2021 that the cancer had come back, and that it was terminal.
"I went to a routine scan [with my oncologist] in early January, and it showed that my cancer had come back," said Lane. "It's in my chest cavity and likely in my bones. Standardly, I have one to two years left, but probably 12 to 18 months."
After receiving that diagnosis, Lane started thinking about a bucket list of sorts, asking himself, “What would I like to do that I've never done?”
The answer? Attend a super bowl.
On Sunday, Jan. 24, Lane decided to write a letter to the NFL. Spectrum Health ended up backing the letter and sent it to the league.
Late in the day of Jan. 27, Spectrum Health received an email from the NFL saying that Lane would be getting a ticket to the Super Bowl, but he'd have to pay for air fare and hotel accommodations.
'It's nice to see that there can be a silver lining in the middle of this darkness," said Lane. "This is a dream come true and has given me a ray of hope in the middle of this tough journey."
But that single ticket was not the only silver lining. Since his story came out, people from all across the state have been sharing their support.
“I’m so excited. It’s been really cool” Lane said. “It’s been just a marathon week of people just pouring out love to me and my family. It’s just been really encouraging.”
Lane said he has received an outpouring of support from his Urology community and people he knew from his time at the University of Michigan. One woman even offered Lane a plane ticket.
“One woman who I don’t think I have ever met, she works at Spectrum, and she offered me a plane ticket because she no longer had use for it,” Lane said. “And this is just the giving spirit that we see here in West Michigan and in our community.”
Additionally, the NFL and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers both reached out to Lane and gifted him with a second ticket for a vaccinated healthcare provider, who will help Lane if he is feeling unwell during the game. Lane said he hasn’t been feeling very strong the last few days, but he is ready to cheer on Tom Brady and the Buccaneers.
“Yeah you know, I was not feeling all that great the last several days,” Lane said. “But now that my energy is back, I’m ready to cheer. I’m ready to see how this goes.”
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