In a poignant revelation, Ben Sasse, former Senator from Nebraska, disclosed that he received a terminal cancer diagnosis just days before Christmas. Sasse, who is 53 years old, shared the heartbreaking news of his battle with stage-four pancreatic cancer.
Leaving a profound mark on those who read his statement, Sasse candidly expressed, “I am going to die” after learning about the metastasis of his illness. Yet, true to his resilient spirit, he emphasized, “I’m not going down without a fight.”
Having stepped away from his political career, Sasse took on the role of president at the University of Florida, serving from February 2023 until July 2024. Despite his personal struggle, his determination remains unshaken.
In his announcement, Sasse recounted the heart-wrenching moment of sharing the devastating news with his family, which includes his three children and parents, describing it as delivering “a death sentence.”
Addressing his followers on X, he candidly wrote, “This is a tough note to write, but since a bunch of you have started to suspect something, I’ll cut to the chase: Last week I was diagnosed with metastasized, stage-four pancreatic cancer, and am gonna die.”
He continued, acknowledging the harsh reality of his situation, “Advanced pancreatic is nasty stuff; it’s a death sentence. But I already had a death sentence before last week too — we all do.”
‘I’m blessed with amazing siblings and half-a-dozen buddies that are genuinely brothers. As one of them put it, “Sure, you’re on the clock, but we’re all on the clock.”
‘Death is a wicked thief, and the b******d pursues us all. Still, I’ve got less time than I’d prefer. This is hard for someone wired to work and build, but harder still as a husband and a dad.’
Ben Sasse speaks during a Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington on October 14, 2020
He continued: ‘There’s not a good time to tell your peeps you’re now marching to the beat of a faster drummer — but the season of advent isn’t the worst. As a Christian, the weeks running up to Christmas are a time to orient our hearts toward the hope of what’s to come.
‘To be clear, optimism is great, and it’s absolutely necessary, but it’s insufficient. It’s not the kinda thing that holds up when you tell your daughters you’re not going to walk them down the aisle.
‘Nor telling your mom and pops they’re gonna bury their son. A well-lived life demands more reality — stiffer stuff. That’s why, during advent, even while still walking in darkness, we shout our hope — often properly with a gravelly voice soldiering through tears. Such is the calling of the pilgrim.
‘I’ll have more to say. I’m not going down without a fight. One sub-part of God’s grace is found in the jaw dropping advances science has made the past few years in immunotherapy and more.
‘But for now, as our family faces the reality of treatments, but more importantly as we celebrate Christmas, we wish you peace: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned….For to us a son is given” (Isaiah 9). With great gratitude, and with gravelly-but-hopeful voices, Ben — and the Sasses.’
Many politicians and government officials have taken to social media to respond to the tragic announcement, including Vice President JD Vance, who wrote, ‘I’m very sorry to hear this Ben. May God bless you and your family.’
Sasse, first elected to the Senate in 2014 and re-elected in 2020, quickly found himself in the spotlight just weeks later as one of only seven Republican senators to vote to convict President Trump for inciting the 2021 Capitol riot during his second impeachment trial.
In January 2023, he departed the Senate to assume the presidency of the University of Florida – a decision that sparked fierce protests from students and school officials.
The backlash arose from his opposition to same-sex marriage, controversial stances on LGBTQ+ issues and what many saw as insufficient experience running a large educational institution.
In 2024, a year after taking the role, Sasse’s wife Melissa was diagnosed with epilepsy. While he stepped down as university president shortly after, he remained on the faculty.
This is a breaking news story.
