“I was going to have surgery, then they told me it was cancerous,” he said. “For about 30 minutes, I was in shock. And then it was, ‘OK, what do we do?'”
The 47-year-old was diagnosed with Stage III pancreatic cancer in May. His condition is terminal. Doctors say Ed has months to live, leaving behind three daughters and family.
“I don’t know when it’s going to hit me, but why dwell on that? Why dwell on it? There’s nothing to dwell on. … Move forward,” he said.
So when his fiancee, MaryKaye, wanted to give him something special, she went to the Web. MaryKaye found the Dream Foundation, an organization that grants wishes to adults with terminal illnesses.
“Since we’re both such huge football fans, the Super Bowl is something, normal everyday people don’t really experience,” MaryKaye said. “That’s something we’d really like to do. We’re excited to go to Super Bowl XLV!”
Of course, being Cleveland fans, MaryKaye and Ed say they’ll be sporting Browns gear in the stands. Yet, they’ll only have love for one team at the big game.
“Oh, the Packers. The Packers all the way,” Ed said. “If it can’t be the Browns, it has to be the Packers.”
The trip is something they have both wanted for a long time.
“It’ll be fun watching the Packers beat the Steelers live, in person,” Ed said as both he and MaryKaye laughed. “That’ll be worth it!”
Though Ed is not sure what will happen in his final days, he’s determined to make the best of them.
“I’m not even a year into it, but most people live six months to 14 months,” he said. “I don’t know what my length of time will be, but I’m going to go in with a positive attitude. That’s what I’m going to do. Live life to its fullest.”
