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Oct
6
9:44PM | October 6, 2009 | comments: 0
Bradie Tackling Breast Cancer Head On
Bradie James is famous on the field for delivering big hits. He's coming off a career season where he led the Cowboys in tackles, plus he led all NFL middle linebackers in sacks...
But its the hits he's taken off the field that's shaped his life...
"Well I actually lost my dad first," Bradie says. "My dad had a liver disease and then three months later, my mom passed."
Bradie lost his mother Etta to breast cancer during his freshman year of college.
"It just motivated me to become who I am today. Thats a part of life. Things happen, but its those who overcome that pretty much go on and be successful. I had a couple of choices. I could either cry about it, be sad, be depressed about it; which I was for a little bit; but I decided to be something for my family that I didn't have yet but just move forward with my life and thats what I did," says Bradie.
When Bradie made it to the Pros he decided to pay tribute to his mother by establishing Foundation 56.
Bradie says, "It's about not giving back but living your purpose and that's pretty much my mission. I don't care about making any banners about what I'm doing as long as I make an impact on someone's life; that's what we all should strive to do."
And the way Bradie's making a difference is through the foundation that bares his number.
"Going out there giving people pamphlets; getting a mammogram; making sure that they have rides once they've been diagnosed with cancer... I wanted to make an immediate impact; and thats what Foundation 56 does. We go out there on the street, and we try to help those people and not fall in between the cracks and that's what we've been able to do."
But its the hits he's taken off the field that's shaped his life...
"Well I actually lost my dad first," Bradie says. "My dad had a liver disease and then three months later, my mom passed."
Bradie lost his mother Etta to breast cancer during his freshman year of college.
"It just motivated me to become who I am today. Thats a part of life. Things happen, but its those who overcome that pretty much go on and be successful. I had a couple of choices. I could either cry about it, be sad, be depressed about it; which I was for a little bit; but I decided to be something for my family that I didn't have yet but just move forward with my life and thats what I did," says Bradie.
When Bradie made it to the Pros he decided to pay tribute to his mother by establishing Foundation 56.
Bradie says, "It's about not giving back but living your purpose and that's pretty much my mission. I don't care about making any banners about what I'm doing as long as I make an impact on someone's life; that's what we all should strive to do."
And the way Bradie's making a difference is through the foundation that bares his number.
"Going out there giving people pamphlets; getting a mammogram; making sure that they have rides once they've been diagnosed with cancer... I wanted to make an immediate impact; and thats what Foundation 56 does. We go out there on the street, and we try to help those people and not fall in between the cracks and that's what we've been able to do."
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