Silenced. Mentally Drained. Emotionally Exhausted. Dick Vitale Remains Ever the

Dick Vitale has one of the most recognizable voices in America. He has leaned heavily on that voice while working for 16 years as a coach in high school, college and the NBA; for 43 years as a college basketball broadcaster at ESPN; and for many decades as a ubiquitous commercial pitchman, a published author many times over, and a sought-after motivational speaker. For the last 19 years, Vitale, 84, has used that voice to raise more than $66 million for the V Foundation’s Dick Vitale Pediatric Cancer Fund. For all of Vitale’s success as a coach and broadcaster, that has been the ultimate cause of his life.

Alas, Vitale’s voice has been silenced as he wages his own fight against vocal cord cancer. It is the third time he has been diagnosed with cancer, following melanoma and lymphoma. For the last six weeks, Vitale has undergone painful and debilitating radiation treatments, and under doctor’s orders he has not been allowed to speak so his vocal cords can heal. Vitale has to write words on a whiteboard or pad so his friends and family know what he wants to say. And in true Dickie V fashion, he has been actively sharing his experiences on social media. By letting the world see what he is going through, Vitale hopes that people will remain focused on the larger battle he is waging to eradicate cancer — and especially pediatric cancer.

Vitale communicates frequently with friends, family and colleagues via text messages. He answered several questions from The Messenger about his cancer fight and his hopes for the future, including his chances of calling college basketball games for ESPN this season. 

If you would like to donate to the V Foundation’s Dick Vitale Pediatric Cancer Research Fund, you may do so here. You can also purchase tickets to the 19th annual Dick Vitale Gala, a star-studded event that will be held on May 3 at the Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota, Florida.

(Editor’s note: This conversation has been lightly edited for length and clarity.)

The Messenger: First of all, can you explain where you are in your treatments, and how you are feeling in general? 

Dick Vitale: I have just completed six weeks of radiation in battling vocal cord cancer. Now I must wait a few weeks until the swelling of the vocal cords heals. The radiation attacking the cancer creates swelling. Once my radiation oncologist, Dr. Biagioli, feels the timing is right, he will scope me to see if the cancer has been eliminated by the radiation. That really is the priority before I can go to see my vocal cord surgeon, Dr. Zeitels, in Boston to begin working to get my voice back.

The Messenger: How would you compare this experience with cancer to your previous ones?

Vitale: I initially was diagnosed about two years ago with melanoma and then a few months later I came down with lymphoma. The treatments involving lymphoma were six months of chemotherapy. It was a blessing that the melanoma and lymphoma both were healed and that I got the opportunity and…