About former US senator Ben Sasse’s kids and family amidst pancreatic cancer diagnosis

Former US senator Ben Sasse has been diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic pancreatic cancer. And this reflected his honest candour as he chose to disclose it on social media. The 53-year-old former Nebraska senator shared in a long note describing his illness.He wrote, “Friends- This is a tough note to write, but since a bunch of you have started to suspect something, I’ll cut to the chase: Last week I was diagnosed with metastasized, stage-four pancreatic cancer, and am gonna die. Advanced pancreatic is nasty stuff; it’s a death sentence. But I already had a death sentence before last week too — we all do.”He further thanked all the people around him, “I’m blessed with amazing siblings and half-a-dozen buddies that are genuinely brothers. As one of them put it, “Sure, you’re on the clock, but we’re all on the clock.” Death is a wicked thief, and the bastard pursues us all.”He also emphasized on how this brought his family closer writing, “Still, I’ve got less time than I’d prefer. This is hard for someone wired to work and build, but harder still as a husband and a dad. I can’t begin to describe how great my people are. During the past year, as we’d temporarily stepped back from public life and built new family rhythms, Melissa and I have grown even closer — and that on top of three decades of the best friend a man could ever have. Seven months ago, Corrie was commissioned into the Air Force and she’s off at instrument and multi-engine rounds of flight school. Last week, Alex kicked butt graduating from college a semester early even while teaching gen chem, organic, and physics (she’s a freak). This summer, 14-year-old Breck started learning to drive. (Okay, we’ve been driving off-book for six years — but now we’ve got paper to make it street-legal.) I couldn’t be more grateful to constantly get to bear-hug this motley crew of sinners and saints.”However, with the festive season, he shared, “There’s not a good time to tell your peeps you’re now marching to the beat of a faster drummer — but the season of advent isn’t the worst. As a Christian, the weeks running up to Christmas are a time to orient our hearts toward the hope of what’s to come. Not an abstract hope in fanciful human goodness; not hope in vague hallmark-sappy spirituality; not a bootstrapped hope in our own strength (what foolishness is the evaporating-muscle I once prided myself in). Nope — often we lazily say “hope” when what we mean is “optimism.” To be clear, optimism is great, and it’s absolutely necessary, but it’s insufficient. It’s not the kinda thing that holds up when you tell your daughters you’re not going to walk them down the aisle. Nor telling your mom and pops they’re gonna bury their son.”Ben Sasse and Melissa are parents to three children. They have two daughters and a son named Elizabeth, Breck and Alexandra. His note reflected on the pride for his kids.Ben and Melissa Sasse met in college and got married in 1995. They have been through demanding careers and personal challenges together over the decades. Ben also stepped down from his post as the president of the University of Florida to support Melissa. She was diagnosed with epilepsy, and Ben’s decision highlighted his commitment to family.He his currently preparing for his treatment with all his family and friends around him.