UL alumni gala honoree Doyle tackles latest battle

[NewsCopy]

Guest of honor Jim Doyle won't be able to attend Saturday's 11th annual Spring Gala presented by the UL Alumni Association. The former Ragin' Cajun football standout is in Little Rock, Ark., being treated for blood cancer at the National Multiple Myeloma Center. "The part I'll miss the most is the opportunity to mingle," said the gregarious Irishman, who has lost around 40 pounds in his battle. "Unfortunately, it was not detected as early as one would have hoped," he said. "It comprises 1 percent of all cancers, seems to like males over 50 and has an affinity for bones. It's hard to detect, and quite often missed." Doyle and his wife, Charlotte, have been in Little Rock for a month for the first round of chemotherapy treatments. That sets the stage for a lengthy procedure involving transplant of his own stem cells to promote remission. "I'm approaching it as I have everything else, as another challenge," Doyle said. "I tell (former) teammates that I'm uniquely trained to face this cancer. I'm programmed to work hard and withstand pain, and to get the best results possible. "I have an incredible network of friends who have contacted me, and I feel energized by that." The rest of the story Bruce Brown bbrown@theadvertiser.com