Thanksgiving week is often a time for reflection and gratitude, and for Steve Doocy, co-host of ‘Fox & Friends’, it brings a profound sense of thankfulness, particularly for his wife, Kathy. While the Doocy family, including their son Peter Doocy, a White House correspondent, and his wife, Hillary Vaughn, are familiar faces in American households, Steve’s story this time centers on a deeply personal experience: the life-saving discovery of Kathy’s eye cancer. This isn’t just a tale of illness; it’s a testament to early detection, family strength, and the ripple effect of sharing one’s health journey publicly.
Steve recounts a seemingly ordinary trip to update their sunglass prescriptions, a decision that unknowingly set in motion a series of events that would ultimately save Kathy’s life. In 2020, as they were preparing to promote their second cookbook, “The Happy in a Hurry Cookbook,” Kathy underwent a routine eye exam with Dr. Patrick Clancy. While Steve’s prescription remained unchanged, Dr. Clancy noticed something unusual during Kathy’s examination – a “freckle” on the back of her eye.
Initially, it seemed minor, something to monitor. However, a follow-up appointment and a consultation with a retina specialist led to a more urgent referral to Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia. Despite a blizzard attempting to halt their journey, Steve and Kathy made their way to Philadelphia, where after a day of tests, they received life-altering news from Dr. Carol Shields, a leading eye doctor: “Kathy, you have eye cancer.” The diagnosis was ocular melanoma, a rare and potentially deadly form of cancer.
The news was devastating, casting a shadow of uncertainty over their future. The primary concern was the risk of the cancer spreading beyond the eye, particularly to vital organs like the liver and lungs. Within weeks, Kathy began radiation treatment at Wills Eye Hospital. During those nights of therapy, staying at a nearby Hilton Garden Inn with their children, Kathy, like anyone facing cancer, grappled with fear and uncertainty, wondering, “What if this treatment doesn’t work?”
In the face of this anxiety, Kathy found a unique way to channel her emotions and leave a lasting legacy for her children. She decided to compile a cookbook filled with recipes she had made for them throughout their childhood. These handwritten recipes, born from a mother’s love and a desire to create lasting memories, unexpectedly paved the way for Kathy’s career as a New York Times best-selling cookbook author.
When “The Happy in a Hurry Cookbook,” their second culinary creation, was released in the fall of 2020, Steve and Kathy shared their story, including Kathy’s cancer journey, in a video promoting the book. This video reached Pastor Terry Keeney, who was watching from across the country. He recognized the similarities between Kathy’s cancer and the recent diagnosis of his friend, Vickie Sonnenberg in Tennessee. Pastor Terry reached out to Vickie, urging her to find Kathy’s story online, hoping it might offer guidance and hope. It was through Pastor Terry’s Facebook post thanking Kathy for sharing her story that Steve learned about Vickie.
Intrigued and moved, Steve sought out Vickie. In a remarkable coincidence, he discovered that the last four digits of Vickie’s phone number matched Kathy’s. As Steve shared this uncanny detail with Vickie during their first conversation, she responded, “Steve, your wife and I have more in common than people realize.”
Vickie’s story mirrored Kathy’s in a striking way. She too had discovered her eye cancer during a routine eye exam for new glasses. At the mall, Vickie and her husband opted for an optional 3D eye scan, a decision that cost an extra $15. Initially hesitant due to her self-described frugality, Vickie was persuaded by her husband, a prostate cancer survivor, to proceed with the test.
While her husband’s results were normal, Vickie’s scan revealed an issue at the back of her eye. Initially suspected to be a detached retina, further examination revealed a melanoma tumor. Faced with two treatment options – radiation therapy or enucleation (eye removal) – Vickie was leaning towards removing her eye to eradicate the cancer completely.
However, fate intervened. Just two days later, Vickie’s friend saw Kathy Doocy sharing her cancer story on television. He immediately contacted Vickie, urging her to listen. Kathy’s experience resonated deeply with Vickie, leading her to reconsider her treatment plan. Inspired by Kathy’s successful radiation therapy, Vickie chose the same path, seeking treatment from a surgeon trained by Kathy’s doctors. The outcome was overwhelmingly positive: Vickie’s radiation treatment was successful, preserving both her eyes and her vision.
Vickie, deeply grateful, shared with Steve that her doctor had acknowledged the optometrist’s role in saving her life through early detection. She considers the optometrist her “guardian angel,” and credits Kathy’s public story for guiding her treatment decision. Pastor Terry echoed this sentiment, telling Steve, “Honestly… your wife probably saved her life.”
The impact of Kathy’s openness extends far beyond Vickie. Over the past four years, countless individuals have reached out to the Doocys, sharing stories of how Kathy’s public battle with eye cancer led to their own diagnoses and timely interventions. Even as Steve wrote about Vickie’s story, he received a message from a husband whose wife, inspired by Kathy, sought consultation with Kathy’s doctor and received a plan to monitor a potential issue.
Today, Kathy faces ongoing challenges from the radiation’s effects, but the most crucial news is her cancer-free status for over five years. Driven by their experience, Kathy and Steve donate a portion of their cookbook proceeds to eye cancer research, hoping to contribute to the eradication of this disease. Their message is clear: early detection is key. Even without needing vision correction, regular eye exams are vital. And as Steve humorously concludes, at the very least, an eye exam might just lead to a prescription for new sunglasses – a seemingly small thing that, in their case, made all the difference.
This story is adapted from Steve & Kathy Doocy’s book “The Simply Happy Cookbook.”
