Dick Vitale, infused with support from his college basketball fraternity, determined as ever to beat cancer

Longtime college basketball voice Dick Vitale is known for his catchphrases. "Awesome, Baby." "Diaper Dandy." "PTPer." 

But the 82-year-old has made it his life's mission to be remembered for one word, above all others: Cancer. Vitale, a 43-year Hall of Fame analyst for the sport, has leveraged his fame to raise more than $44 million dollars for pediatric cancer through his annual galas and fundraisers. 

That unyielding spirit to help others is why several young children reactively reached out to Vitale this fall to offer their support when he was diagnosed with cancer. 

"The disease I've dedicated my life to defeating for kids, now I'm battling it, too," a choked-up Vitale told USA TODAY Sports in an emotional interview. "The Dickie V team, these cancer survivors, I've gotten so many inspiring messages from all of them. I had one kid who has been through 1,200 rounds of chemotherapy who told their Dad, 'We gotta go see Dickie V and make sure he's all right.' If that doesn't tell you how blessed I am, I don't know what does."