DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) — Paul Lidy has never fought cancer — his family has.
"Anytime you hear cancer, it's a scary thing," he said.
Paul's wife Sarah Lidy has fought Hodgkin's lymphoma three times — once as a teen and twice as a mother.
"I will never forget those words becuase it was the end of the world at that point," Sarah said. "We very much went through all of this as a family."
Support was critical to the Lidy family during Sarah's cancer battles. Paul has now made that support his mission.
Paul is one of nine candidates for the Leukemia-Lymphoma Society's Man of the Year honor in Illinois. Each candidate will raise funds for the society to fuel research efforts and support families just like Paul and Sarah's.
"Yes, its about money but the more money that's raised, the more money that can go into research," Paul said.
Everyone wants to win — but no plaque, trophy or title will change who Paul is to his family — the dad, husband and man of every year.
"When things are tough, you have got to come together and you have got to communicate," Paul said. "That was one of the pieces that was really important to me."
To contribute to the campaign, click here.
