‘GMA’ correspondent Will Reeve reveals heartbreaking worry about wife, loved ones amid cancer battle
“Good Morning America” correspondent Will Reeve admitted he “worried about being a burden” during his battle with testicular cancer.
Reeve, 34, spoke candidly about his journey on “GMA” Wednesday, a day after revealing that his diagnosis was “in the rearview mirror.”
Now cancer-free after “undergoing multiple surgeries and chemotherapy,” he said he wanted to “destigmatize” testicular cancer by interviewing three men who are at different stages of their own battles.
Reeve spoke with Kevin Spies, who was diagnosed at age 31 and is now 38; Dr. Freeman McCluskey, who was diagnosed at 28 and is now 35; and Will Sette, who was diagnosed at 14 and is now 19.
Looking back on his own experience during the interview, Reeve said, “I’m so sorry to all of my loved ones who are dropping everything to be with me throughout this whole thing,” referring in part to his wife, Amanda Dubin, whom he married in January.
The men also found moments to joke, including while discussing doctors’ recommendations to visit a sperm bank immediately after receiving a testicular cancer diagnosis.
“If there’s ever a time to go [to a] sperm bank, it’s probably when you’re 14,” Reeve joked to Sette.
Reeve then told Spies, “You are what I hope to be soon: a father,” referring to Spies’ experience becoming a father during his journey with cancer.
Spies has since welcomed two sons and became emotional while expressing his gratitude for “modern medicine” and his ability to have children despite his diagnosis.
The segment then returned to the “GMA” studio, where Reeve provided an update on the three men as well as his own recovery.
“I am here doing my job, grateful to all of you and to everyone [who] we work with and everyone who has reached out and everyone in my family and everyone in my life for supporting me,” he said.
“GMA” co-anchor Robin Roberts responded, “It’s a mission for you right now. It’s your message.”
Reeve first revealed his private battle with testicular cancer on “GMA” Tuesday, where he assured viewers “right off the top” that he was “OK.”
“The diagnosis was a shock and the treatments were a slog,” he said in part. “Today, though, I am relieved to announce that we arrived at our destination, and this cancer is in the rearview mirror. But what a journey.”
In an interview with People published Tuesday, Reeve also revealed that he nearly missed a “tender lump” on his testicle while showering in April.
“I was concerned, but figured that it would pass,” he told the outlet. “As is common for young, healthy men like myself, I assumed it was nothing or that it would go away.”
Weeks later, after noticing the lump was still present, Reeve underwent an ultrasound at his wife’s urging, which revealed that it was a mass.