Rep. John Lewis will be undergoing treatment for stage 4 pancreatic cancer

Source: Tom Williams / Getty

Rep. John Lewis Diagnosed With Pancreatic Cancer

2019 has been a year filled with various forms of heartbreak and it appears that we will have to endure those circumstances up until the very last minute.

Today, news broke that Rep. John Lewis, a congressman, civil rights legend, and dean of the Georgia congressional delegation, is in the fight for his life with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

Rep. Lewis released a statement via his official website:

“I have been in some kind of fight – for freedom, equality, basic human rights – for nearly my entire life. I have never faced a fight quite like the one I have now.

“This month in a routine medical visit, and subsequent tests, doctors discovered Stage IV pancreatic cancer. This diagnosis has been reconfirmed.

“While I am clear-eyed about the prognosis, doctors have told me that recent medical advances have made this type of cancer treatable in many cases, that treatment options are no longer as debilitating as they once were, and that I have a fighting chance.

“So I have decided to do what I know to do and do what I have always done: I am going to fight it and keep fighting for the Beloved Community. We still have many bridges to cross.

“To my constituents: being your representative in Congress is the honor of a lifetime. I will return to Washington in coming days to continue our work and begin my treatment plan, which will occur over the next several weeks. I may miss a few votes during this period, but with God’s grace I will be back on the front lines soon.

“Please keep me in your prayers as I begin this journey.”

BOSSIP is praying for Rep. Lewis and his family as they walk the road to recovery.