LUTZ, Fla. — A former South Carolina quarterback is fighting stage four colon cancer after a diagnosis earlier this year.
Stephen Garcia is hoping to bring awareness to the disease after his own diagnosis at age 38.
The Tampa native said his wife insisted he go for tests.
"Ordered the MRI, came back and they found two lesions on the liver and that’s when they ordered the colonoscopy and the colonoscopy found the tumor in there and then that’s when they did the biopsy, found out that they were linked up," said Garcia.
WATCH: Former college quarterback and Tampa native starts non-profit organization after cancer diagnosis
Garcia said prior to his diagnosis, he experienced sporadic abdominal pain and a change in bowel habits.
"It was sporadic. It wasn’t constant. I didn’t have any blood, my skin and eyes weren’t yellowing and I didn’t have any back pain," he said.
Garcia said he's been through six rounds of chemotherapy and radiation. He is expected to have surgery in September to remove the tumors in his liver and colon.
He created a non-profit organization,"Quarterback Your Health Foundation," to bring awareness to the disease and expand access to preventive screenings especially for people who are uninsured.
The organization is hosting its inaugural fundraising gala on Friday, August 21.
Doors open at 5 p.m. and the program runs from 6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
It will be held at Hilton Garden Inn Tampa Suncoast Parkway at 2155 Northpointe Parkway in Lutz.
"Going to have a bunch of cool speakers come out there and speak, some of my old teammates, some of my old coaches and then we’re going to have a few of the surgeons and doctors that I’ve seen come up and speak and just kind of give some information, you know, people that might have some questions," said Garcia.
Garcia said there will also be a silent auction to raise money for the foundation.
Garcia encourages people to pay attention to their health. He said he's made it a priority to keep a positive attitude through treatment.
"You know, you got to have that will to live. You got to have that person that you want to live for, those family members you want to live for, you know, I’m blessed to have a wife and three children that I love dearly. I want to live a long time for them," said Garcia.
For more information on the foundation visit:
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