Mark Lerner, billionaire owner of the Washington Nationals baseball franchise, announced Thursday that he was forced to have his leg amputated last week due to complications from cancer treatment.
In a letter sent to The Washington Post, Lerner said that although he is cancer free at the moment, doctors were forced to remove Lerner’s left leg last week following surgery and subsequent radiation treatment.
Lerner said that physicians discovered Spindle Cell Sarcoma in his left leg, ‘above the knee,’ in January.
Billionaire Washington Nationals owner Mark Lerner said he had his leg removed due to complications from cancer treatment this week
‘With my doctors and medical team, we decided that amputation of that leg was my best choice to maintain the active and busy lifestyle that I have always enjoyed,’ Lerner stated in his letter.
‘The limb was removed in early August and I’m healing well, cancer-free, and looking forward to my eventual new prosthetic.’
Spindle Cell Sarcoma is type of connective tissue cancer in which the cells are spindle-shaped and are most common in bones, muscles, tendons or cartilage — particularly in arms and legs.
Lerner, 63, is the Vice Chairmen of the Major League Baseball franchise and principal owner of the Nationals.
Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo told the the Post that Lerner’s absence from the ballpark has left a ‘void,’ noting that before his illness, he was a constant fixture at home games.
Spindle Cell Sarcoma (pictured) is type of connective tissue cancer in which the cells are spindle-shaped
Lerner made the announcement in a letter addressed to The Washington Post
‘It’s been difficult to explain to players, to staff, to everybody,’ Rizzo said by phone.
‘They want to be private about it, and that’s their right. But his absence was noticed.’
‘Not having him in the draft room; he’s always in the draft room. Not having him at the trade deadline, when you’re talking to Mr. Lerner and the group 20 times a day.
‘I know they were keeping him abreast, and he had other things on his mind, but I missed him. It was sad. I was bummed out about it,’ Rizzo said.
Lerner’s family first acquired the Nationals in 2006, purchased with proceeds from a vast real-estate fortune under the Lerner Enterprises empire.
Lerner’s father, Ted, is the largest private landowner in the Washington Metropolitan area, and owns commercial, retail, residential and hotel properties, as well as Chelsea Piers in New York City.
The family is worth an estimated $5.7 billion dollars, making them one of the wealthiest families in the United States.
Lerner ended his letter on an optimistic note.
‘I’m not sure of the timeline yet, but you know I’ll be at Nationals Park as soon as I possibly can.’
The Lerner family has owned the Washington Nationals baseball franchise since 2006, and have an estimated worth of $5.7 billion