Roman Reigns reveals the importance of his battle with leukemia and sharing his story
Roman Reigns announced in late October 2018 that he had to vacate the Universal Championship to resume his battle with leukemia - something that the public had no knowledge of until he mentioned it.
It went back to his days in college when he was a part of his University's Football team but he would have to go through the process again - miraculously reaching remission stage in just a few months.
Roman Reigns spoke to PEOPLE.com along with Stephanie McMahon promoting WWE's involvement in championing the fight against pediatric cancer. As you may know, Connor's Cure was established with the objective of battling pediatric cancer and WWE has successfully raised tens of thousands of dollars in the cause.
Not only this, but WWE superstars spend time with children battling cancer and various illnesses. For Roman Reigns, it's more than just an obligation he has as a WWE superstar.
Roman Reigns told PEOPLE about the initial pressure of having to battle leukemia:
"I felt like, why is this happening? I'm healthy, I'm an athlete," Reigns recalls of his initial diagnosis. "I was in the best years of my life, my prime as a young man and my girlfriend, who is now my wife, was pregnant with our first child. I had so much pressure and so much on my plate that it was hard for me to understand."
Roman Reigns specified how important it was for him to be involved and share his story with those facing similar struggles to what he did:
"I really just try to stress that we're all in this together, that they're not alone, though it can sometimes feel that way — especially being in the hospital at a time like this," says Reigns, who also works with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. "By sharing my story, I think it's a chance for them to see somebody who's been through somewhat of a similar situation — someone who has been knocked down and had to pick themselves up — and reached victory on the other side."
Roman Reigns says it's important to share the victories
Realistically, it's not always a miraculous recovery like in the case with Roman Reigns. There's a lot of tragedy and suffering that comes with it, which is why Roman Reigns believes that seeing the type of positive outcome fuels hope and that sharing the small victories is the most important thing.
WWE has done well to raise awareness for pediatric cancer and it's been pivotal for them over the last six years. We hope that they continue to do so and that superstars like Roman Reigns can continue inspiring millions of young children battling cancer and various illnesses.