J U N E 2 0 1 5 O U T P A T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T 3 3
K
evin Reilly was on top of the world in his
20s: an NFL player for his boyhood team, 3
young children, a sky's-the-limit future. But
his NFL career was cut short and his life forever
changed in 1975 when he was diagnosed with a rare
scar-tissue tumor (desmoid tumor, also known as
"aggressive fibromatosis"). To halt the spread of can-
cer, Kevin's left arm and a large portion of his shoul-
der were amputated, along with 5 ribs. It's called a
forequarter amputation, and it sunk him into a deep
depression. Kevin shook off the negative thoughts
and went on to do things that make you marvel at the
strength of the human spirit when confronted with a
life-altering challenge. Kevin uses his own life as a les-
son on how all of us can prevail from bad luck, adver-
sity and pain to find the very best in ourselves.
• Overcoming loss. Keep in mind I wasn't the average
guy on the street. I fell really far from being a profes-
sional athlete who was really proud of my body and
being in shape to now missing most of the left side
of my body.
Speaker Profile
• Former NFL player who had a
career-ending amputation when
he was 25.
• Motivational speaker
(kreilly.com)
• Uses his own life as a lesson on
how all of us can prevail from bad
luck, adversity and pain to find the
very best in ourselves.
Kevin Reilly
The Human Spirit Is Stronger Than
Anything That Can Happen to It
A former NFL player who lost his arm
to cancer gained something in return:
a unique understanding of what it takes
to fight back and win.
