South Jersey Cancer Survivor Diamonique Valentine Invited By Eagles, NFL To Be Part Of 2021 NFL Draft
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Philadelphia Eagles' draft selections on Saturday will feature a special guest who grew up in Camden rooting for the Birds. This is a young cancer patient. She and her husband are lifelong Eagles fans, and now, they're about to be part of football history.
Talk about some pumped Eagles fans.
Diamonique and Marcus Valentine, who live in South Jersey, will be part of the Eagles' NFL draft on Saturday.
"It was crazy," Diamonique said. "When we found out, we was like, 'what?' Knowing we are going to have the opportunity to be a part of something like that is just like dang, once in a lifetime opportunity."
The opportunity comes because Diamonique is a patient at the Ambassador Action Center with the American Cancer Society.
We first met Diamonique in December 2019 after she was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer.
"I was more like shocked, 'No way I'm way too healthy, nothing like this could ever happen to me, I'm only 27,'" Diamonique said.
For the past year, she finished cancer treatments during the pandemic, forced to be alone for surgery and treatments.
"It was scary," Diamonique said. "It was, you know, unfamiliar not being to have my husband with me."
Now, it's all about rebuilding their lives -- kind of like what the Eagles are doing.
"To get back to where we belong as far as being contenders for a world championship," Marcus said.
The Eagles, as part of the NFL, have a partnership with the American Cancer Society, and that's how Diamonique got invited to be part of the draft virtually.
She won't be announcing the pick, but she will tell her story during the Eagles' selection.
"The future for me, and I hope to see the same for our team, our home squad, to stay healthy, to stay happy, to stay whole, to stay in togetherness in comradery," Diamonique said.
In her work with the American Cancer Society, Diamonique focuses on helping underserved, minority communities and getting the word out about the importance of early detection.
