Introduction to Grant DePorter’s Journey
Grant DePorter has shared big news with us before. There was the time in 2004 when, in an attempt to break the Cubs’ World Series “curse of the Billy Goat,” the P.T. Barnumesque owner of Harry Caray’s restaurant bought the infamous Bartman ball for $113,824.16 and exploded the thing before a live television audience. Or the time he offered a $50,000 reward for the safe return of the missing puck Patrick Kane shot across the goal line to win the 2010 Stanley Cup. Last Friday, DePorter shared his biggest news yet. The cancer he’s been battling is in remission.
The Diagnosis and Treatment
He posted the news on social media shortly after getting the status from his doctor. His wife, Joanna, was with him that day at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Her phone was set to speaker, with their twins, Margo and Hayden, on the other end, when Dr. Ken Carson walked in the room and announced without delay or pleasantries: “I have the best possible news: Your cancer is in complete remission.” “I was definitely crying,” DePorter said. “We all were,” added Margo. It all began last year over Christmas vacation in Colorado when a pain in the back of his neck led to a trip to urgent care and then to the hospital, where doctors puzzled over an expanding list of symptoms. “My kidneys were failing, and they didn’t know why, and I had a rash that looked like a paint-by-numbers type thing, and a fever,” DePorter recalled. He was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoma in early January and spent three weeks at a hospital in Denver before returning to Chicago for treatment.
The Road to Remission
“I thought ‘People are going to start wondering what’s going on with me. I’m a pretty public person.’ So I decided to post everything on Facebook. And the reaction was just overwhelming,” DePorter said.
Support from the Community
People have been dropping off food and care packages and calling and sending texts nonstop, he said. There have been thousands of likes and comments on social media. Marc Schulman, head of Eli’s Cheesecake, offered unlimited cheesecake. The Loukas family, which owns the Cubby Bear, sent books and blankets. His staff at Harry Caray’s let DePorter know they had his back and stepped up in his absence. An employee who’d beaten cancer sent a healing crystal. Folks from the Cubs and White Sox reached out, too. Messages from ex-ball players like Ryan Dempster and Ron Kittle lifted his spirits. And his longtime business partner, Beth Goldberg Heller, was there every step of the way. “On the days that are not good, those texts and all that [stuff] takes your mind off things, gives you the positive energy to wait it out and fight it out,” DePorter said.
Celebrating Remission and Upcoming Events
He celebrated news of the remission by eating Lou Malnati’s pizza and watching the Dolph Lundgren flick “Shark Lake” with his daughter Margo. “When I was younger, if I was going through challenging moments, my dad knew how to lighten the mood and make me feel better and be there for me, so this was my opportunity to be there for him,” said Margo, who watched a bunch of movies with her dad over the last few months. “Shark movies are kind of our thing,” DePorter said. “We have very high tolerance for low-budget shark movies.” DePorter is not fully finished with chemotherapy; he has two more upcoming sessions. But it’s different now. “I feel stronger now that I know it’s working, and I started laughing again,” he said. DePorter will be celebrating his old pal, the late Harry Caray, Tuesday as part of the 27th annual “Toast to Harry Caray” event.
The Curse-Breaking Ceremony
During chemo, DePorter was thankful he could still focus on work and his next big production, which culminates Tuesday with a “curse-breaking ceremony” meant to halt the misfortunes of the White Sox (Caray was the team’s announcer for years before joining the Cubs). The event will focus on a 106-year-old baseball with a special connection to the White Sox. The ball was found in a time capsule at the Tribune Tower that was opened in 2022. The day it was taken to the Chicago Sports Museum for display was also the day the White Sox fortunes began to seriously sour, DePorter points out. The team went from making the postseason in 2020 and 2021 to falling short in 2022. The team then lost 101 games in 2023 and set the league’s all-time loss record (in the modern era) with 121 losses in 2024. To reverse the curse, the ball will be placed in a briefcase that will be handcuffed to a special courier and transported from the Harry Caray’s at Navy Pier back to the old Tribune Tower on Michigan Avenue where it will be placed back into the original time capsule and sealed in a new “secret secure location,” DePorter said.
Conclusion
Grant DePorter’s journey with cancer has been a challenging one, but with the support of his family, friends, and community, he has been able to stay positive and focused on his recovery. His story is an inspiration to many, and his determination to beat cancer is a testament to his strength and resilience. As he continues his treatment and prepares for the "Toast to Harry Caray" event and the curse-breaking ceremony, DePorter remains optimistic and grateful for the outpouring of support he has received.
FAQs
Q: What type of cancer did Grant DePorter have?
A: Grant DePorter was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoma.
Q: How did DePorter announce his remission?
A: DePorter posted the news on social media shortly after getting the status from his doctor.
Q: What is the "Toast to Harry Caray" event?
A: The "Toast to Harry Caray" is an annual event that DePorter began 27 years ago to celebrate the life and legacy of Harry Caray.
Q: What is the purpose of the curse-breaking ceremony?
A: The curse-breaking ceremony is meant to halt the misfortunes of the White Sox by placing a 106-year-old baseball with a special connection to the team back into its original time capsule and sealing it in a new "secret secure location."
