ORLANDO, Fla. – If you’ve just started following me or tuning in to what we do here at News 6, there’s something you might not know — I was diagnosed with kidney cancer in April 2020.
It hit me hard, and life hasn’t been the same since. Going through something like that shifts your perspective. It forces you to see things differently, to find motivation in places you never expected.
Today, we’re having a conversation about cancer, resilience and the will to keep moving forward. Our guest, Michael Picard, knows this battle all too well.
The fight of a lifetime
Michael was diagnosed with Stage 4 renal cancer in 2016. The prognosis was grim — he wasn’t supposed to survive. But here he is, eight years later, standing strong despite everything cancer has thrown at him.
His journey has been marked by eight major surgeries, including the removal of a kidney, a full right hip replacement, a partial left hip replacement and a rod inserted into his right femur. He’s even had to battle a brain tumor and, just last year, underwent pelvic reconstruction due to the cancer’s spread.
Yet, against the odds, he’s still here.
Six months ago, Michael was finally able to stop treatment. He’s in remission, though that doesn’t mean he’s cured. With advanced-stage cancer, remission means constant monitoring — scans every four to six months to check if the disease is progressing again. But right now, in this moment, he’s stable.
Choosing strength over pity
If you saw Michael today, you probably wouldn’t know the extent of his battle. Besides a slight limp, he looks strong. That’s because he is strong. He hits the gym three times a week for strength training and plays golf twice a week. Staying active isn’t just about keeping his body moving — it’s about proving to himself, and to the world, that cancer doesn’t define him.
He doesn’t want sympathy. What he wants is to share his story — to remind people that even in the darkest moments, there’s light to be found.
The power of a few words
Michael vividly remembers a moment when he was losing hope. Sitting in a waiting room, a stranger leaned over and told him something simple but profound:
“Don’t let it define you. You’re a better person than that.”
That sentence changed his life. It gave him the strength to keep going when he wasn’t sure he could. Now, he believes he was put on this Earth to be that person for someone else. That’s why he’s telling his story today — to be a voice of hope for anyone who needs it.
Michael Picard is living proof that resilience is more powerful than fear, and that even when the road is long and uncertain, it’s still worth walking.
Watch the full interview at the top of this story.