Local television personality Boyd Huppert of Kare-11 called into WCCO Friday afternoon to reveal heartbreaking news that has kept him off the air for weeks: He was diagnosed with probable lung cancer.
And then he wasn't.
"Back in October, actually late September, I went in for my annual physical," Huppert said, revealing that a routine heart scan showed a mass in his lungs. Additional scans at the University of Minnesota showed what doctors said was a malignant tumor, with 99% certainty of the diagnosis. Surgery was scheduled for late October.
"I had two-and-a-half-weeks of sheer terror," Huppert said. The plan was to remove half of one lung, with the hope that the cancer hadn't spread.
Waiting for surgery, he said the worst thing he did was search Google for "lung cancer. " "You try to be hopeful," Huppert said, adding, "the worst case scenario didn't look that good."
When he woke up after bracing for the worst, he discovered the nodule was removed ... and it was determined not to be cancerous.
"I feel like I've been given a great gift," said Huppert, a father of two grown kids.
Huppert, 58, the son of a dairy farmer, is a farm boy turned journalist who's one of the most recognizable figures in Twin Cities media. A native son, he grew up in River Falls and became what many believe is a master storyteller. "He is the most powerful storyteller in this town," WCCO host Chad Hartman said.
His "Land of 10,000 Stories" feature is renowned for its quality of photojournalism. Huppert won an Emmy in 2007 for a report titled "Portrait of Compassion" on the Today Show.
In addition, Huppert has won 14 national Edward R. Murrow awards for his journalistic endeavors, a Silver Circle Award and 103 regional Emmy awards.
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Huppert started his career Wausau, met his wife, Sheri, at the Pierce County Fair and went on to work at Omaha and Milwaukee TV stations before joining KARE-11 in 1996.
So, how is he feeling now? "I feel great," Huppert said. "I'm 99% back to normal and feel grateful ... This is a life-changing thing for me and it's caused me to think about what's important."