Alex Trebek Says His Wife's Steadfast Love Helped Him Fight Stage 4 Cancer As He Turns 79

Jul 29, 2019 by apost team

Beloved game show host, Alex Trebeck celebrated his 79th birthday among friends and family. The “Jeopardy!” star was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in March of this year, however, he recently shared a “mind-boggling” health update amid his battle with the disease while also crediting his turn in health to the love and kindness of his wife. 

Trebek shared with People how his battle with pancreatic cancer has left a physical and emotional toll on him, offering that he lost both his hair and his sense of taste. However, the recently turned 79-year-old revealed that his wife of 29 years, Jean Currivan, has been a steadfast support system in his life. Trebek said Jean became emotional when he was recently given the miraculous news that his tumors had shrunk by more than 50%. 

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"She cried, of course, this morning when she got the [good] news [about my tumors shrinking]," Trebek said about his wife to People. 

"But it’s been a lot. It’s a lot of pressure. My heart goes out to caregivers,” he said. “Because they have to deal with their loved ones suffering and they also don’t always know how to help because there’s not much they can do, except try to make you feel more comfortable, at ease and not worry about ordinary stuff.”

He also spoke about how his wife was a strong partner during his treatment when he was suffering from depression. "They’ve also got to be strong and not allow their mate not to feel like they’re downhearted too,” he said.

Trebek's amazing recovery made his 79th birthday all the more special. “Jeopardy!’s" Instagram page shared several photos of Trebeck and his family as they gathered with friends in a ballroom to celebrate the host.

Trebek still has a few more rounds of chemotherapy to go, but he’s responding well and he knows that the support of his fans and family must have something to do with it. 

“I’ve got a couple million people out there who have expressed their good thoughts, their positive energy directed towards me and their prayers,” he said to People. “I told the doctors, this has to be more than just the chemo, and they agreed it could very well be an important part of this.”

We are sending our thoughts and prayers to your quick recovery, Alex! Send the game show host your well-wishes in the comments and be sure to pass this article along to your friends and family who would like to stay updated on Alex’s condition.