Kelee Ringo: Passionate for Cancer Research in Honor of His Mom
How Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Kelee Ringo and his mom Tralee Hale are partnering with the V Foundation
Early into his first year of college at Georgia, Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Kelee Ringo heard words he never imagined. His mom, Tralee Hale, was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Tralee found a lump in her left breast during Kelee’s senior year of high school but wasn’t sure what it was. She put off getting it checked out because she was under the age of 40 and did not have a history of cancer in her family.
When Kelee left for college in June 2019, Tralee scheduled a doctor’s appointment to prove to herself that it was not cancer.
“I didn’t believe that it would happen to me, but I stand corrected,” Tralee said. “I was a busy mom, working as a flight attendant … I was in denial. I convinced myself that it was a cyst or a clogged duct, not cancer. Not me.”
After the diagnosis, Tralee moved closer to Athens while Kelee played football at the University of Georgia. He was there for his mom, showing her support every step of the way. He encouraged her throughout her grueling treatment regimen, from difficult treatments to further restrictions when the COVID pandemic hit months later.
At the beginning of their journey, Kelee had little knowledge of breast cancer. He was terrified, not knowing what their path would be like or anything about the disease. He researched, learned and supported the best way he could. Both mother and son leaned on their faith throughout Tralee’s whole journey. Even when times were difficult, they remained positive and never wavered.
“I didn’t understand when I was diagnosed what my fight was going to consist of,” Tralee said. “I completely underestimated cancer, chemotherapy and the side effects that are associated. People who don’t understand cancer say that it’s ‘a new normal’, but there’s nothing normal about my everyday life now and the fight that I ended up having to endure because of my decision to put off having that mass checked. Had I not done so, I likely would not have had to have such an intense round of chemo.”
“No matter what the timeline was, we came to an agreement that she was going to get through that no matter what was going to happen,” Kelee said. “I am proud of her in how she was able to overcome it and knowing that she fought continuously.”
“Today, I feel grateful. With my mom going through treatment, it’s been a lot of realizations of what chemotherapy does to your body in everyday life… I want to continue to be that support system that I was in the very beginning. I feel like that’s all I can do and that’s what is required of me: to love my mother.”
Advancements in cancer research have allowed Tralee to see her favorite football player live his dream. It allowed her to attend games at the University of Georgia. It allowed her to see him win two College Football Playoff National Championships. It allowed her to see her son drafted in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. It allows her to attend his games as a professional player for the Philadelphia Eagles. These memories are priceless.
Tralee and Kelee are passionate about sharing their experience. She was in disbelief when she was diagnosed with a rare form of breast cancer – triple-negative ductal carcinoma (TNDC) – in part because of a lack of information around cancers that can predominantly impact black and brown women. African American women, particularly, are more likely to be affected by TNDC due to a higher prevalence of certain gene mutations.
Now, they are leveraging Kelee’s platform and Tralee’s story to spread awareness and raise funds for game-changing cancer research, including research focused on improving outcomes for African Americans and underserved communities disproportionately affected by cancer. The V Foundation specifically funds cancer research in this space through the Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund. Since 2015, the V Foundation has awarded $19.5 million through this fund.
“My new life mission is to save lives and communicate what I have been through,” Tralee said. “I’ll tell the raw uncomfortable truth. If I have to make you laugh or make you cry or scare you into breast health, that’s what I’m here to do.”
