PLANO — Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Texas.
In 2006, 428,000 Texans were living with cancer. An estimated 97,000 new cases are diagnosed each year.
Lee Nagel of Plano is one of them. She survived a rare form of cancer and is now giving back in a big way.
Lee and husband Steve Nagel raised more money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation than anyone else in America.
Five years ago, doctors diagnosed Lee Nagel with anal cancer. At the time, her children, Andrew and Sarah, were only three and one.
"The first thing I asked was, 'Am I going to die?'" Nagel recalled.
She underwent chemotherapy, radiation and surgery before her oncologist told her she was cancer-free.
"Immediately, we asked, 'What can we do? How can we roll up our sleeves? How can we get involved?'" Steve Nagel said.
Steve is a cyclist. He closely followed Lance Armstrong's cancer battle and cycling career. Lance and Steve went to rival high schools in Plano.
"Everybody knew about Lance because he was a big tri-athlete," Lee said. "So Steve said, 'You know, cycling and raising funds for cancer, it kind of seems like an instant connection.'"
At first, they sent out e-mails to friends, explaining their desire to help.
They received $35,000 in donations.
Then, they planned a golf tournament. In the last two years, they have raised $567,000.
That has generated big smiles from Armstrong — the seven-time Tour de France winner — and his mother, Linda Armstrong Kelly, who lives in Plano.
"Out of something so terrible, she [Lee] was able to turn that around to survive cancer," Kelly said. "And she chose to make a difference in peoples' lives and say, 'I want to give back.'"
By giving back, The Nagels say they're setting an example for their children, who are now seven and nine.
"We were given a second chance by my survival, and it's something we can't take lightly," Lee Nagel said.
E-mail sstoler@wfaa.com
