After losing his mother to breast cancer, former NFL player DeAngelo Williams started a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing and fighting the disease. Within four years, they have covered the cost of mammograms and aftercare for over 500 women.
On Twitter, Williams said that 53 represents a “significant number”; it was “how old my mom was when she lost her battle with breast cancer,” he wrote.
“To be able to help all these women is amazing. This can be life-changing for these women,” Williams said, per TODAY. “We are enabling them to get this care that no one should ever be denied or not have access to.”
While his mother was still battling breast cancer, Williams showed support by painting his nails and hair pink. And he convinced the NFL to let all players compete in pink cleats during October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness month. After her passing, he requested to wear the color for the entire year, but his request was denied.
“DeAngelo wants to ensure that no woman (or man) fights breast cancer alone,” Risalyn Williams, his wife and executive director of The DeAngelo Williams Foundation, explained.
One Facebook comment read, “Thank you. Your generosity is saving lives and making a difference.”
Another noted, “As a breast cancer survivor, thank you, your Mom is smiling down at the lives you are touching and saving. My Mom was recently diagnosed with the same breast cancer as I. No one wants to have cancer, but no survivor wants anyone they love to have to walk their journey.”
One particularly heartfelt comment said: “Mr. Williams, I cannot possibly thank you enough. You are exactly the type of person that The Lord treasures. Truly, you have set an example for everyone else about what it means to be kind, generous and compassionate. May GOD bless you and your family.”