UNTIL MY LAST BREATH

An emotional journey of hope, love, loss, and perseverance by legendary basketball commentator Vitale, with co-author Gleeson.

In this inspirational tribute and call to action, the author—a Hall of Fame broadcaster with ESPN and a three-time cancer survivor—highlights his work to fund cancer research and inspire others. Vitale honors the motto of his friend, basketball coach and broadcaster Jim Valvano (“Don’t Give Up…Don’t Ever Give Up!”), who founded the V Foundation for Cancer Research a year before his own death from cancer in 1994; the author has been a committed fundraiser for the organization ever since. Readers are taken behind the scenes of Vitale’s medical journey, including struggles with lymphoma in 2021 and 2022 and vocal-cord cancer in 2023. Vitale has long put a spotlight on the urgent need for pediatric cancer research through galas and various media platforms, and the Dick Vitale Pediatric Cancer Research Fund at the V Foundation has granted more than $84 million to top researchers around the United States. Throughout, Vitale employs his trademark voice and style in these photo-rich pages, entwining his own cancer stories with those of pediatric cancer patients, whose courage, he says, has profoundly affected him. The book includes the accounts of a dozen such young people, all sharing invaluable lessons of hope and perseverance. Vitale recounts his own battle with vocal-cord cancer, which involved “35 grueling radiation treatments spread over six weeks—including a double treatment on Fridays” and left him unable to speak for months. The ordeal wasn’t just a crushing blow to his livelihood, he says; it also took away his “greatest weapon to fight for children.” He tells of experiencing dark moments during his cancer treatment, but he also notes how he persevered with the strength and support of family members and by remembering what his parents always told him: “Never Believe in Can’t, Richie.” The book culminates in the author’s triumphant return to broadcasting,marking his 45th season with ESPN—a milestone that underscores his determination.

A touching celebration of strength and an inspiring story of dedication.