Former South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia is recovering in the ICU after undergoing surgery for Stage 4 colorectal cancer, and his wife says the operation removed the cancer.
Masha Garcia shared the update on social media on Sept. 22, writing, "Stephen is out of surgery. In the ICU.
Surgeon called and said all the cancer is out." She later added, "I said the cancer is out.
Stephen has stage 4 cancer and is not officially cancer free. It's going to be a long journey with surveillance.
Thank you for your love and prayers."
As of Sept. 23, Garcia, 38, was still in the ICU, according to his wife’s social media posts.
Garcia had posted a video on social media on Sept. 21 before the surgery, saying he had complete trust in the doctors who had given him confidence from the start.
"Gonna cut this damn stuff out and we're back to operating as normal," Garcia said in the video. "We're going to get through this, I have no doubt in my mind."
His diagnosis came in April after months of abdominal pain. Garcia said this past spring that the discomfort began last July, but he waited six or seven months before seeing a doctor.
An ultrasound found several spots on his liver, which led to an MRI. Doctors then discovered two lesions on the right lobe of his liver, and a colonoscopy and biopsy followed to confirm what they believed was cancer.
Before the operation, Garcia completed six rounds of chemotherapy and radiation starting May 6, treatment intended to shrink the tumors and keep them from spreading beyond his liver.
His family also started Quarterback Your Health, a foundation focused on helping others dealing with cancer and widening access to early detection. The organization’s website says, "Quarterback Your Health funds colorectal cancer screenings for uninsured and at‑risk individuals across Tampa Bay - including the many who fall outside standard screening guidelines, and the many more who delay it, avoid it, or never get the chance. Removing that barrier is how we save lives,"
The group held a fundraiser in Tampa, Florida, on Aug. 21, with former South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier in attendance.
Garcia played at South Carolina from 2007-11 under Spurrier and led the Gamecocks to their only SEC Championship game appearance, a loss to Auburn in 2010.
A native of Lutz, Florida, Garcia still lives there with Masha and their three children. Their oldest child, Memphys, is committed to New Mexico Military Institute as a quarterback.
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