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DeSantis on first lady’s cancer fight: ‘We’re not out of the woods’

Governor says family believes Casey DeSantis will be cancer free this year after 2021 breast cancer diagnosis

Casey DeSantis, Florida's first lady, diagnosed with breast cancer

LAKE BUTLER, Fla. – Months after announcing that his wife, First Lady Casey DeSantis, was facing a battle with breast cancer, Gov. Ron DeSantis gave a brief update on her fight during a news conference Friday in Lake Butler.

“We’re not out of the woods,” DeSantis said, explaining that they felt it was important to inform the public about the first lady’s diagnosis but since then have preferred to keep the details of her cancer battle private. “She’s a public figure, a lot of people care about her and a lot of people have been praying for -- and that makes a huge difference to us and we really appreciate it -- at the same time, it’s a medical issue for the family, which it’s generally a private thing.”

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He took the opportunity to point out that some political rivals who claimed he was “vacationing” last week when he had nothing on his public schedule were mistaken.

“We were down in Tampa doing this treatment,” DeSantis said. “It’s not easy to go through for her, and it’s certainly not fun to watch somebody have to go through that, to watch your spouse go through that.”

He said Casey, 41, has good days and others when the disease and treatment take a toll.

“We’re not through with it. We’re getting closer to the end,” DeSantis said. “But I do think our view is that 2022 will be the year where we can say that she is cancer-free, and that’ll be something that’ll be really important.”

The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.


About the Author
Francine Frazier headshot

A Jacksonville native and proud University of North Florida alum, Francine Frazier has been with News4Jax since 2014 after spending nine years at The Florida Times-Union.

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