Instagram/@derekhough
Derek Hough and his wife Hayley joined forces with MasterCard in a project very close to their hearts: to promote cancer research for the two cancers affecting the father and stepfather of Hough this year. The Dancing with the Stars pro posted an emotional video in which he revealed in detail his family’s nightmare through chemotherapy, radiation, life-threatening surgeries, and announced an initiative: #StandUpWithMastercard.
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This touching post immediately opened the floodgates for hundreds of cancer stories to shower the comments. One user shared, “Just declared cancer-free 2 weeks ago after kidney removal surgery. Probably need another year of immunotherapy- my oncologist was pretty certain I’d need another year of immunotherapy…but God!” An undertone of relief resonated deeply in the majority of messages; another survivor warned, “Don’t get lax. Always get regular checkups. The beast could come back,” referring to his own almost 3-year remission.
Hough’s candid sharing of his pain through the experiences of those close to him under treatment allowed for the articulation of truly deep emotions. A dancer remembered how he learned of his aunt’s entrance into the hospice right before a DWTS tour performer-who passed shortly after-with metastasized breast cancer: “She was like a second mom after I lost my own mother unexpectedly,” strengthening Hough’s intent in forging his platform. And that channeling of their anguish into advocacy evidently touched some hearts, with various users commenting on how much they please that they “turn what they love into a way to help find the cure.”
Cancer victories had remained suspended above all respondents’ stories-23 years of celebrating being “stage 4 free through attitude and prayer,” another lung cancer patient working “kicking cancer’s butt” while never having smoked, and a plethora of breast cancer warriors recording acceptance anniversaries into remission. Yet sorrow peeked through as the user recalled his last conscious moment as the father of pancreatic cancer: “God gave me strength in that instant I still rely on daily.”
Meanwhile, in the thick of comments, the official MasterCard account entered the display, thanking the Houghs; meanwhile, some cheekily commented on Hayley’s pregnancy glow. Not even close to the light cast upon cancer advocacy were the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network volunteers and American Cancer Society members, who chipped in their own shares. One brave fighter summed up the spirit of the thread: “I stand up for all those not as blessed to be cancer-free yet.”
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The timing of the campaign accompanies Hough’s shift from fisheries to fatherhood and the support of two paternal figures undergoing health crises-a dichotomy the fans greatly admire. The couple’s melding of corporate philanthropy with family struggle has birthed something almost never heard of: a branded initiative that actually feels human. The hundreds of survivor stories are proof that once big-time influencers like Derek Hough rally for a cause that’s much bigger than themselves, the masses will meet them on equal grounds of vulnerability-who knows, maybe here, in this give-and-take, lies their next roadblock gift.
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