MINNEAPOLIS, MN – OCTOBER 26: Casey O’Brien #14 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers waits to place the ball against the Maryland Terrapins at TCFBank Stadium on October 26, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by G Fiume/Maryland Terrapins/Getty Images ((Photo by G Fiume/Maryland Terrapins/Getty Images) / Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Casey O’Brien was diagnosed with cancer five times during his high school years and as a holder on the special teams of the University of Minnesota football team, but he beat it.
He got to step on the field to kick an extra point at Rutgers in 2019, one of the highlights of his Gophers career. Unfortunately, his battle with the disease is not over. O’Brien announced on social media Monday night that his cancer had flared up for the eighth time. He was originally diagnosed with osteosarcoma in 2013 and has been battling the disease for 11 years.
Casey O’Brien raises $1 million for U of M Masonic Children’s Hospital
Even though his playing days as a Gophers football player are over, Casey O’Brien’s story continues to inspire people every day.
O’Brien said in a post with a link to a GoFundMe campaign that he learned the cancer had returned to his lungs, liver and lower back.
Why he asks for help
O’Brien says he has exhausted most of the traditional options for fighting the disease and is opting for more modern procedures that his insurance won’t cover due to a lack of data. He is asking for $250,000, and within hours of the page being published, more than $40,000 had been raised.
“We are excited about these new opportunities and my family and I would be truly grateful for any help we can get,” O’Brien said.
In numbers
O’Brien says he has undergone over 40 surgeries in his 11-year battle with cancer and has received more than 20 courses of chemotherapy, immunotherapy and other medical treatments.
He spent more than 400 days in a bed at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital and had to have a knee replaced at age 14. He remains close to the staff and did charitable work there during his time with the Gophers.
Row the boat
O’Brien would have had a stellar high school career at Cretin-Derham Hall before being diagnosed with cancer. He was forced to quit football. He joined the Gophers as a specialist, unsure if he would ever get a chance to play.
This became a reality in a 42-7 win at Rutgers during Minnesota’s historic 11-2 season in 2019. He was allowed to save an extra point and then hugged PJ Fleck on the sideline.
O’Brien retired from football in 2021.
