Gators offensive lineman Richie Leonard and his family endured a difficult stretch this year when his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. (Photo: Anissa Dimilta/UAA Communications)
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Prishonda Leonard received a diagnosis of triple-negative breast cancer in April, a form of the disease considered more aggressive and with fewer targeted medicines to treat.
The revelation turned her world upside down. Six months later, she officially beat cancer.
Though Prishonda went through biweekly rounds of chemotherapy treatment, she didn't miss a single game for her son, Gators offensive lineman Richie Leonard.
"If I had to be pushed in a wheelchair, I'd be there," she said on a recent visit to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Prishonda was initially scheduled to undergo a mammogram in November 2020. However, amid COVID-19 and an influx of patients seeking mammograms following Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, she told the doctor's office she was okay with delaying the appointment to allow others to come in and get checked out.
In the meantime, Prishonda and her husband, Rich Leonard, went on a weight-loss journey. It was later when Prishonda found a small golf ball-sized lump on her breast.
She called her doctors.
Prishonda said she wasn't too worried, and when they called asking her to come in, she said she preferred to wait. After all, Richie and his older sister, Ashley, happened to be visiting the Leonards' home in Cocoa for the weekend when she received the call.
Nothing is more important to Prishonda than family time. The Leonard family at the Gators-LSU game last month. (Left to right: Rich, Prishonda, Richie and Ashley)
The doctors, instead, said the matter was urgent.
Prishonda decided traveling to Tampa for treatment at the Moffitt Cancer Center would be her best bet for survival. Originally, the Moffitt team wanted Prishonda to do her treatments on Friday, but she said no; she needed to be in good enough condition to attend Richie's games on Saturdays.
Richie Leonard said his mom has probably never missed a game or event of his in his whole life.
"She's somebody who's funny to be around; she's goofy sometimes," Richie said. "But you know, it is at the same time, when it's time for her to lock in and do what she needs to do, she's that person."
Prishonda didn't want to be the one who told her kids the news, so her husband Rich sat the brother and sister down.
"She broke down crying, of course," Rich said. "I naturally kicked into overdrive. My thought process was: I have to make this as easy for her and (Richie and Ashley) as possible."
Prishonda was a somewhat frustrated at first, Richie said, asking 'Why me?', but soon she told her kids their mom is a fighter.
She told them she knew they are already giving 100 percent in their endeavors. Now, she wanted them to go 200 percent.
While Richie is playing his second year of football at UF, Ashley is in her second year of pursuing a law degree at Southern University in Louisiana.
Prishonda's family members say she's always had a resilient spirit.
Still, at times she wondered when the chemotherapy treatment would end. She felt exhausted.
The difficult experience has made her appreciate her family even more.
"We were already like this, but now we're like this," Prishonda said, squeezing her fingers together.
Prishonda said she preferred to keep the news within the family to avoid a pity party. She acknowledged some people may feel better posting about their progress on Facebook, but that's not her style. Besides, she was plenty busy with the businesses she and her husband run.
Ashley and Richie have always been tight as a brother-sister duo. So, the kids talked to each other about their mom's cancer fight.
"My life didn't begin until I had (Ashley)," Prishonda said. "I would give everything to be with my family."
Perhaps a little comfort came from Suge Knight and Lola, the latter of the French Bulldogs, which the family added as a pandemic puppy the day before Prishonda's biopsy.
The situation took a bit of a turn when Prishonda was diagnosed with COVID-19 at the beginning of September. However, Moffitt, where Rich drove Prishonda for all the chemo sessions, handled it capably during her cancer treatments.
"I never saw her shed a tear, she was happy go-lucky," Richie said.
Some college kids may resort to calling their parents once a week. Not Richie and Ashley.
The Leonard family has hosted a nightly group FaceTime for the last six months.
More so, Richie and his mom talked on the phone about three to four times a day during the treatment. She would ask Richie all about what was going on with practice, workouts and school. He wanted to know how she was feeling.
Prishonda said, regardless, if he only called her once a week, Richie knew she would come to Gainesville to visit him.
"That would not fly with me," she smiled, "No!"
Rich added that the family loves the atmosphere at Florida.
Rich Leonard played basketball at Bethune-Cookman, where he and Prishonda met. As the kids grew up, he led sports for the children, while Prishonda, as a middle school reading teacher, guided them in academics.
Richie said his mom laid a good foundation of doing homework and studying for tests.
His dad brought up a story where Richie got into a little trouble in third grade. He told him he can't do that, with his mom's reputation in the school.
"Your mom's a teacher!" Rich said at the time.
After that, it was all smooth sailing. Indeed, Richie recently made the SEC-Academic Honor Roll.
Prishonda said that Richie was a 7 pound, 9-ounce premature baby. They spent Richie's first few months together in the hospital, so they have always been very close. With everything he does in school and football, he amazes her.
But first, there was something big to celebrate for Prishonda.
When Richie learned she would finally ring the bell for defeating cancer on Oct. 18, he begged his parents for the video.
She love to post about me on twitter but this time I get to return the favor! Today my mother officially beat breast cancer! The way she handled her diagnosis and has been battling cancer all while never missing a beat in our lives is truly an inspiration.💕💕💕🙏🏾🙏🏾 @Prishondapic.twitter.com/LngxqtrteH
Through his Tweet, he let the whole world know what his mom persevered through.
Rich, the videographer, meanwhile, said he was crying while filming, tears of joy for his wife's — and family's — victory.
"It feels like a weight lifted off my shoulders," Prishonda said.
Prishonda now plans to get a double mastectomy. As far as general health, she advises all women and men to examine themselves once a month. Her early catch made an already grueling battle less threatening.
Through self-examination, resilience and support of family and Moffitt's medical team, she'll be in the stands like always on Saturdays, watching No. 67 run out onto the field, grateful to be cancer-free.
