Wilmington man fighting cancer celebrates 60th chemo treatment with parade

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — On Thursday, a Wilmington man who has been battling cancer for four years got to celebrate his 60th chemotherapy treatment in a big way.

Tom Kennedy was diagnosed with breast cancer around Christmas 2016. In addition to 60 chemo treatments he’s also gone through a mastectomy and radiation.

He says doctors then found it had spread to his brain and spine, and told him he may only have six to 12 months to live.

However he’s still here, and still fighting. That’s why friends, family, and even the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office came out for a parade past his house.

“I didn’t even know what to do with myself,” Kennedy said. “I mean, cops, firefighters, friends I haven’t seen in a few years, friends I see all the time, it’s just so much love and support. That’s part of what keeps me going, that and the love and support of my wife and my children.”

Kennedy says he didn’t know men could get breast cancer before he was diagnosed, and urges men with a lump or other concerns to get tested.