Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis Diagnosed with Breast Cancer

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) announced Monday his wife, Casey, has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

“I am saddened to report that Florida’s esteemed First Lady and my beloved wife has been diagnosed with breast cancer,” DeSantis said in a statement, adding:

As the mother of three young children, Casey is the centerpiece of our family and has made an impact on the lives of countless Floridians through her initiatives as First Lady. As she faces the most difficult test of her life, she will have not only … my unwavering support but the support of our entire family, as well as the prayers and well wishes from Floridians across our state.

“Casey is a true fighter, and she will never, never, never give up,” the governor said.

Ron and Casey DeSantis have three children: Madison, age 4; Mason, age 3; and Mamie, age 18 months.

Since DeSantis was elected governor, Florida’s first lady has launched four major initiatives:

Hope Florida – A Pathway to Prosperity: Uniting communities through “Care Navigators” to guide Floridians on an individualized path to prosperity, economic self-sufficiency and hope.

Resiliency Florida: An initiative for Florida schools to emphasize key character development skills including volunteerism, teamwork, and problem solving.

Hope Ambassadors Program: A youth peer-to-peer student mentorship program that will recruit student volunteers to work with their peers and help create an environment of kindness and compassion in their schools.

Character Education Standards: An initiative with the Florida Department of Education to teach character education standards in Florida’s K-12 schools.

First lady DeSantis earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the College of Charleston.

She is a three-time national champion equestrian and a runner-up Division I NCAA champion.

Mrs. DeSantis worked as a producer and on-air host for the PGA Tour and earned an Emmy award for her on-air work in Jacksonville.