In August 2014, legendary NBC anchor Tom Brokaw received the life-altering news that he had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, an incurable yet treatable form of blood cancer. The diagnosis came as a shock, and Brokaw faced the challenge of breaking the news to his wife, Meredith. 
The day after the diagnosis, Brokaw went to his family’s Montana ranch and shared the devastating news with Meredith. “I didn’t want to tell her on the ride because it was a bumpy, dangerous gravel road,” Brokaw recalled during an interview on “The Hoda Kotb Show.” He explained, “I went down, made a very stiff scotch, sat on the bed, and told her, ‘Our lives have changed. I’ve been diagnosed with cancer.'” 
Meredith’s response was pragmatic, asking practical questions about the illness. Brokaw, however, admitted that he didn’t have many answers at that point. “I don’t know a lot about it, but I know it’s going to change us,” he added. 
After the conversation, Brokaw tried to push forward with his day. However, he made the fateful decision to drive 100 miles away for a fly-fishing trip, despite his health struggles. “It was like an electric shock to my body,” Brokaw remembered. “Everything was pain beyond my ability to control it.” He was eventually evacuated via medical helicopter after struggling to move, an experience that only made his reality more apparent.
Today, Brokaw’s cancer is in remission, but he continues with daily chemotherapy treatments. To help others facing similar struggles, he turned his journey into a memoir titled A Lucky Life Interrupted, which has now been released in paperback.
Brokaw’s courage and willingness to share his deeply personal battle with cancer have inspired many. His powerful story serves as a reminder that even in the face of such adversity, hope, resilience, and the love of family can help one through the most difficult moments.
