Charles Krauthammer Shares Dire Prognosis: “This is the final verdict. My fight is over.”
“I am sad to leave, but I leave with the knowledge that I lived the life that I intended.”
Absolutely heartbreaking.
Fox News contributor Charles Krauthammer shared Friday that he has weeks to live. He’s been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, one doctors believe will claim his life all too soon, at least by our standards.
In an open letter, Krauthammer shared his diagnosis and thanked everyone who has loved and supported him throughout his life and career.
I have been uncharacteristically silent these past ten months. I had thought that silence would soon be coming to an end, but I’m afraid I must tell you now that fate has decided on a different course for me.
In August of last year, I underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumor in my abdomen. That operation was thought to have been a success, but it caused a cascade of secondary complications — which I have been fighting in hospital ever since. It was a long and hard fight with many setbacks, but I was steadily, if slowly, overcoming each obstacle along the way and gradually making my way back to health.
However, recent tests have revealed that the cancer has returned. There was no sign of it as recently as a month ago, which means it is aggressive and spreading rapidly. My doctors tell me their best estimate is that I have only a few weeks left to live. This is the final verdict. My fight is over.
I wish to thank my doctors and caregivers, whose efforts have been magnificent. My dear friends, who have given me a lifetime of memories and whose support has sustained me through these difficult months. And all of my partners at The Washington Post, Fox News, and Crown Publishing.
Lastly, I thank my colleagues, my readers, and my viewers, who have made my career possible and given consequence to my life’s work. I believe that the pursuit of truth and right ideas through honest debate and rigorous argument is a noble undertaking. I am grateful to have played a small role in the conversations that have helped guide this extraordinary nation’s destiny.
I leave this life with no regrets. It was a wonderful life — full and complete with the great loves and great endeavors that make it worth living. I am sad to leave, but I leave with the knowledge that I lived the life that I intended.
It’s hard to imagine any kind of reasoned cable news discussion without Krauthammer’s balanced pragmatism.
Chris Wallace is absolutely right, Krauthammer is a great man.
Video: Chris Wallace addresses Charles @Krauthammer directly at the end of his reflections on Krauthammer's life: "I want you to know that I love you. I flatter myself to consider my — and feel so honored to consider myself a colleague of yours. You are a great man." pic.twitter.com/KMD2nrUKaY
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) June 8, 2018
Deeply saddened. Crying. And abundantly thankful Krauthammer chose to share his wisdom and thoughts with the rest of us with grace and kindness.
Goodspeed, good sir.
DONATE
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
My condolences to him and his family.
Please, Please, Please tell Dr. Krauthammer to take Rick Simpson Oil (just google it)– HE WILL NOT DIE AND THERE ARE NO SIDE EFFECTS !!!!!
Sincerest Best Wishes, Bob Clark
Please help save Dr. Charles Krauthammer’s life– Please
Thank you Charles for all you work and all you gave. May Angels carry you to eternal rest. I am not sure I could face my end with at much poise and courage.
I can’t say I always agreed with him, but he was certainly well informed of his opinions, and he will be missed.
It is certainly sad news, and I feel for any who have to suffer through aggressive cancers. I hope his final weeks are not painful, and that he goes to his final rest knowing he left behind an impressive legacy.
Oh my goodness. This is terrible news. Dr. K., you are awesome, and I am so sorry for you and your family.
Very sorry to hear this. Dr. Krauthammer is an intelligent, erudite individual who always managed to state his opinions in a calm, civil, reasoned manner. I didn’t always agree with him, but I always appreciated his thoughtful and dignified demeanor.
May his passing be as peaceful and painless as possible. Condolences to his family and friends.
Fox CEO Robert Murdoch said it well: “Charles has been a profound source of personal and intellectual inspiration for all of us at Fox News,” Murdoch said. “His always principled stand on the most important issues of our time has been a guiding star in an often turbulent world, a world that has too many superficial thinkers vulnerable to the ebb and flow of fashion, and a world that, unfortunately, has only one Charles Krauthammer.”His words, his ideas, his dignity and his integrity will resonate within our society and within me for many, many years to come,” Murdoch added.
Which sums up very well why those who watch FOX News,came to appreciate what FOX brought to the table that no other News Media
was able to duplicate; A Charles Krauthammer.
He’s one of my most favorite people in the political arena. We don’t always agree, but that’s OK. I pray he’s given his heart to the LORD Jesus Christ that he will be saved for all eternity. I’m gonna miss his pearls of political wisdom here on earth.
Farewell, Dr. K. You’re leaving some enormous shoes to fill.
He is courageous. But then, he always has been.
His input was always well thought out, civil, understandable and delivered with a dry wit. He is a gentleman and his commentary will be missed.
A truly amazing and inspirational man.
His story of forging ahead to achievement and success in the wake of personal tragedy without the slightest hint of self-pity should be a lesson to all the selfish, blame-everybody-else-for-any-imagined-misfortune-I-think-I-might-feel youth of today.
To have his intellect is one thing; to have it with such a gentle demeanor of grace and humility sets him apart and above almost all others of great intellect.
A true gem of a human being.
https://twitter.com/conserv_voice/status/1005128136407863297
As his absence grew longer, I had a bad feeling something like this was happening. I will miss him.
Sad news, but Krathammer is in no way conservative. A neocon? Yes. A social liberal? Yes A conservative? No way.
A real conservative would be dropped in less than a month by the WaPo.
Whether or not you agree with his politics, you have to admire his courage. In many ways he is like Christopher Hitchens – I frequently disagree, but he forces me to think critically about the issues. He will be missed.
As my Irish ancestors say:
May your glass be ever full.
May the roof over your head be always strong.
And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you’re dead.
I’m pleased that Krauthammer didn’t engage in any superstitious god-talk.
Like you just did?
It’s sickening how people have to attack others religions. It shows their intolerance and that they are likely to be Progressive Fascists or Communists.
Shame on you.
“I’m pleased – ”
What a petty little creature you must be. You’re going to spend the rest of your days languishing in that little corner of hell you’ve created for yourself.
He is such a courageous man, I so admire his grace and perseverance. An intelligent, interesting man with a droll sense of humor, I will miss him.
This is what killed my father.
.
Charles will always have my respect, no what our disagreements. He was always one of those few analysts that you would lean in to the TV for and listen closely.
Clear fields. You will not be forgotten.
Yes, Charles’ too soon passing will leave a void in American journalism!
Courageous? “Courageous” would have been to do life’s personal business in private.
Seems self-important to me to presume that a mass audience would or should want to be involved in an intimate personal episode.
Men are shrinking.
Oh, for Pete’s sake! What a nasty thing to say!
Charles Krauthammer lived a very public sort of life. It was kind of him to let the people who watched his shows know what was happening and to say goodbye. If you think “men are shrinking,” as you say, perhaps it’s because you’ve been looking in the mirror.
You couldn’t fill his shoes…wheelchair… if you tried. What a despicable thing to say about this dear man.
I’ve missed him on Special Report and have frequently searched for updates on his health over the past year, and this is simply heart-breaking. I love love love Charles Krauthammer and am so sad that we are losing him, his insight, his wisdom, his humor.