Jack McCaffery, son of Penn coach Fran, on leave at Richmond after cancer diagnosis
Richmond’s Jack McCaffery, the 20-year-old son of Penn men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery, has been diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, the university announced Sunday.As a result, McCaffery will temporarily leave the Spiders’ basketball team.The school released a statement on Sunday.“Any cancer diagnosis is distressing, especially at a young age, but we are confident in Jack’s treatment plan and Penn Medicine’s team of lymphoma experts,” Dr.Alison Wakoff Loren, Penn Medicine, said in the statement.She continued, “Hodgkin’s lymphoma mainly affects young people in their 20’s, but it is a highly curable form of cancer, thanks to years of dedicated research.
Our goal is to get Jack through his treatments safely and to return him to school and to his teammates on the basketball court as soon as we can.”Richmond men’s basketball head coach Chris Mooney discussed McCaffery’s diagnosis as well.“From the moment Jack arrived at Richmond, he’s been an important part of our program,” Mooney said in the statement.“He’s a tremendous teammate who has earned the respect of everyone around him through his hard work, character and commitment to doing things the right way, both on the court and in the classroom.
Our entire program will be there for him and his family every step of the way on his path to recovery.”Fran McCaffery also released a statement on his son’s condition.“We are grateful to the Richmond coaching staff and medical team for their prompt response, and to Kevin Mahoney and the doctors and nurses here at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania,” said the Penn head coach, Jack’s father.“He is in great hands and our family feels blessed to be here, where Jack’s care is directed by this world-class care team.”The diagnosis is another difficult health challenge for the McCaffery family.Jack’s older brother Patrick was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2014, and residual effects from treatment sidelined him at...