Luke Combs Brings Cancer Survivor on Stage, Linda Caicedo Returns To Women’s World Cup After Cancer Diagnosis and More

Linda Caicedo returned to play in Women’s World Cup after an ovarian cancer diagnosis.

Professional Columbian footballer, Linda Caicedo, aged 18, returned to make her debut in the Women’s World Cup this past Tuesday, where she scored a goal against South Korea.

Caicedo has participated in the Colombian professional team América de Cali and the Colombian senior women’s national team, according to the Associated Press.

Once receiving the news in regard to her diagnosis, Caicedo feared that her career was coming to an end. “I remember I was going into surgery one day and I was feeling really bad because I thought that I was not going to be able to play top-level football again,” Caicedo told the Associated Press.

Now, being one of the best players in the world, Caicedo tells individuals with cancer that, “I am an example that you can get out of that and overcome this.”

Caicedo was experiencing stomach pain in 2020, and what doctors thought was gastritis ended up to be ovarian cancer. Two weeks after being diagnosed, she received surgery to remove the tumor, and began six months of chemotherapy.

Caicedo played in the Women’s World Cup this past Tuesday, where she scored a goal against South Korea.

"The feeling the group had going onto the pitch, we were a bit anxious, we wanted the World Cup to start, and we wanted to start off on the right foot,” she said, according to ESPN. “This was something crucial. Very happy for the goal and the victory."

Luke Combs inviteed a cancer survivor on stage at a recent concert.

Country singer Luke Combs was preforming at a concert venue in Foxborough, Massachusettes when he brought an 8-year-old cancer survivor, Cooper Massengill, on stage. Massengill was diagnosed with leukemia when he was 3 and has received multiple surgeries since the diagnosis.

Combs recently covered Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car,” which has made its spot on the Billboard charts. Combs brought Massengill on stage to sing it with him this past Saturday after granting Massengill’s wish through the Make-a-Wish Foundation to meet the country singer.

Combs felt connected to “Fast Car,” as he explained, “That song has meant a lot to me ever since then for my whole life. I always think about my dad when it comes on, and us spending time together,” according to Entertainment Weekly.

Videos of Massengill and Combs have been circling social media, as the crowd is cheering and chanting Massengill’s name at Gillette Stadium.

“When I was walking up, everyone was shouting my name. It felt great,” Cooper told the broadcaster, according to Daily Mail.

Ben Alldis supported his fiancée through cancer diagnosis by reflecting on his own diagnosis.

Peloton instructor, Ben Alldis, revealed his fiancée, Leanne Hainsby’s, breast cancer diagnosis is reminding him of his own experience with melanoma years ago.

“When Leanne got diagnosed, I sort of relived it a little bit, but it did really help me support her because I could understand the emotions that she was going through," Alldis told PEOPLE.

Before he worked for Peloton, Alldis was teaching fitness classes part-time. Alldis said that he was approached by a woman taking one of his classes who informed him that it was important to undergo skin checks, especially for individuals who have many moles. When Alldis went to the doctor and got a biopsy done, he was later diagnosed.

“Fortunately, it was only stage 1. Because they don’t know how much it spreads, they just for safety cut around the whole area,” Alldis explained, according to PEOPLE. Shortly after this, Alldis began to work with Peloton.

Once Alldis was diagnosed, he didn’t tell anyone. “I didn’t tell anyone at the time because I didn’t want anyone to be worried that I wouldn’t be able to do the job. So, for about two years, I didn’t say anything.” Looking back, he says, “The way that I dealt with my cancer illness was probably not the right way,” Alldis explained according to PEOPLE.

Now, it has been months since Hainsby was determined cancer-free.

“Me and Leanne have very similar values. We’re both massive family people. We’re both passionate about life. We’re both very driven, but we also have this complementing energy where she’s very extra and eccentric and I’m quite stable and the finance guy,” Alldis told PEOPLE.

Both Hainsby and Alldis look forward to celebrating their upcoming wedding with family and friends, PEOPLE reported.

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