Until My Last Breath: Fighting Cancer With My Young Heroes

by Dick Vitale, Scott Gleeson, Foreword by Mike Krzyzewski

“Think positive and have faith.” Those are the words of a three-time cancer survivor determined to inspire the world. Yet anyone who knows Dick Vitale – or Dickie V as he’s better known – understands that he is hardly a man of few words, especially on the topic of fighting cancer. The Hall of Fame broadcaster is known by millions from his four decades (and counting) with ESPN, where he’s built a one-of-a-kind connection with college basketball fans. In his new memoir, Until My Last Fighting Cancer With My Young Heroes, Vitale chronicles his own harrowing experiences with cancer and the childhood battles that inspired him along the way. Vitale felt imprisoned in his own body while unable to speak for four months battling vocal-cord cancer, but still managed to find his voice through the pages of this book. With his signature enthusiasm and a sensitive tone, Vitale visits the homes of a dozen pediatric cancer survivors and shares the lessons of hope and perseverance he learned from these remarkable children who have overcome the fight of their life. In the most intimate look at Vitale’s family life to date, his wife, Lorraine, and their daughters, Terri and Sherri, tell a story of fighting cancer through family togetherness. Go behind-the-scenes with Vitale’s doctors, as he opens up about the emotional battles that accompanied his lymphoma in 2021-2022 and his vocal-cord cancer in 2023 – all setting the stage for his triumphant return to broadcasting NCAA games in a record 45th season with ESPN. The 84-year-old Vitale takes a baton from his dear friend, Jim Valvano, who famously told the world of his own cancer battle, “Don’t Give Up…Don’t Ever Give Up!” Until My Last Fighting Cancer With My Young Heroes is a touching tribute to the motto, capturing the oversized heart of Vitale, the comforting impact he has on cancer-affected families, and the overarching inspiration of children.

192 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2024