Cover Story
When Birmingham businessman Matt Scalici first learned that his wife had cancer, they each had a lot of questions. Those questions, partnered with fear and anxiety, taught Scalici that cancer patients, family members, and caregivers need better resources to make it through the difficult journey. The Fighting Cancer Network appâwhich debuts this month in the Birmingham marketâis the result of Scaliciâs experience and is a tribute to his late wife Ginger, who passed away in 2015 from lung cancer.
Filling a Need. Finding out that you or a loved one has cancer can be debilitating, Scalici said. âWhen a person receives a cancer diagnosis, most of us find ourselves with our heads in the clouds, in a fog, and we usually donât even remember what the doctor says after the news,â he said. âItâs a shocking thing to hear, and you are filled with anxiety and fear.â According to Scalici, you want primarily to get information âbut itâs often near impossible.â Patients and caregivers are desperate for answers from trusted sources about their cancer. The Fighting Cancer Network app provides information that one needs after hearing that diagnosis and does it in a way thatâs unavailable anywhere else. It then continues to give the user information throughout their cancer treatment. In talking with medical professionals, they agreed with Scaliciâthat there was a huge need for such a storehouse of cancer knowledge and expertise.
The free app, which is downloadable on the Apple app store and Google Play, uses video to provide practical advice to patients, caregivers, and others affected by their diagnosis. It will be free to all users and will be supported by ads. When fully launched, it will be available on both IOS and Android smartphones, tablets, and even televisions. For Scalici, who has a background in broadcasting, video is a great outlet for sharing information. Video, he said, is the perfect teaching tool; itâs much easier to process than words. âResearch shows that you process an image 60,000 times faster than text, which means the human brain can learn and retain much more using video,â he said. âEach video in the app will last an average of six minutes which is proven to be the perfect size for holding someoneâs attention.â Each cancer covered on the app will include hundreds of videos with information on every facet of the diagnosis, the cancer itself, treatment, and more. Scalici previously had experience with Eternal Word Television Network(EWTN) and the Golf Channel, both of which are experiences he said equipped him well to have the vision and to do the work for The Fighting Cancer Network.
A lifelong Catholic, Scalici had a meaningful work and personal relationship with Mother Angelica (the founder of the EWTN, based out of Irondale, and host of her âMother Angelica Liveâ show). âWhen I graduated from the University of Alabama, I went to see Mother and asked for prayer,â Scalici remembered. âShe told me about her plans, and I became her first employee. I worked for her for 13 years, and she taught me leadership and about Godâs provision. She had a huge influence on me, and we had a lively friendship until her death.â Watch this video to learn how they met.
His work at EWTN (which went on to become the worldâs largest Catholic television network, reaching 264 million households globally) led to his work with another widely successful cable network venture.
Scalici was part of the Alabama-based executive team that launched the Golf Channel in 1995 and became Vice President of Network Operations; it was televisionâs first 24-hour single sports station and continues to thrive today as an integral part of the golf landscape. As Scalici aged, he longed to do something meaningful. And thatâs when Mike Ousley, a veteran in television production, came to him with his idea. âMike called me in August 2019 and asked if we could meet for coffee to discuss his business idea. I prayed about it and then told him I wanted to do it,â he said, âbut then Covid hit. It ended up giving us time to pause and make plans, consider what we wanted to do.â At both EWTN and the Golf Channel, Scalici said a key to success was that they knew their audienceâsomething that they are mindful of with The Fighting Cancer Network. âWe know our audience, and we know what they need, partly because Iâve been through it,â he explained.
Wifeâs Legacy. At the center of the idea for the app and the way it has evolved has been Scaliciâs late wife. âThere is hardly a part of this that hasnât been influenced by my experience with my wife,â he said. âI was a loving caregiver and my wifeâs cancer experience was a short one. But all the things that happen to every cancer patient and the people that love them happened in my life.â While wife Gingerâs cancer battle was briefâshe was diagnosed with lung cancer in February of 2015, and died just 25 days later on March 9- it was illustrative of the difficult, often confusing, and overwhelming journey experienced by so many millions in America and around the world each year. Scalici credits Ouselyâs vision as something that touched him on a very personal level. âHe came up with the idea, and when he shared it with me, I connected with it so much,â Scalici said. âI identified with what the app would do for people because I had been through it with my wife.â According to Scalici, the app is designed with information that he himself wishes heâd had when Ginger was sick. âIn designing it, we want to help with the questions: Whatâs in the best interest of the cancer patient? What does a cancer patient need? Would this help in their everyday lives?â he explained. âThese are the things that patients and caregivers need.â If he’d had such a resource during his wife’s diagnosis, the information and practical help would have been easier to come by.
A Love for Birmingham. Scalici was born and raised in Birmingham, he and his wife raised their family here, and his children and grandchildren all live in the area today. The city is also integral to his faith story. âI was born in Birmingham and lived in Homewood until my parents built a house on Old Leeds Road about two miles from Our Lady of the Angels Monastery,â he said. âWe attended mass every Sunday there with the sisters, and it was mysterious and wonderful. They sang like angels.â He attended St. Rose of Lima Catholic School, John Carroll Catholic High School, and then graduated from the University of Alabama; he attends St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church, where he and his wife were founding members. The only time heâs lived away from Alabama was from 1994 to 2000 when he worked at the Golf Channel. Today, he lives in a âcharming little 100-year-old grist mill on the Little Cahaba Riverâ and enjoys time with his 91-year-old mother, three grown children, and eight grandchildren. âFive of my grandchildren were born after my wife passed away, and we like to say that Ginger (or Gigi, as she was called) met them before I did,â he said.
Unveiling the App. Itâs appropriate that The Fighting Cancer Network app debuts in the city that has meant so much to Scaliciâs upbringing and family journey. The pilot program was unveiled in May, using Birmingham as a testing ground for the app. âIf youâre in the Birmingham area, youâll start seeing ads, seeing things on social media,â Scalici said. âWe want to see how it operates, find out what needs to be improved or added.â The pilot program features breast and prostate cancer and includes information presented in a variety of unique ways. Videos are the highlight with approximately 20 main videos and hundreds of additional instructional videos with information from medical professionals across the country. âThe idea is that we will answer questions about your cancer and curate videos with information you need,â he explained. âThe videos, mixed with exquisite 3-D graphics, provide you with the information you need as you start treatment. How often do you go to your doctor, and they ask if you have questions and youâre just stuck? The app gives you the information you need so that you can talk with your doctor.â Scalici said that Art Franklin, a familiar Birmingham broadcasting face, hosts many of the primary videos; and then professionals from such hospitals and research facilities as UAB, Vanderbilt, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Mayo Clinic, and Harvard provide information in supplementary videos. âWeâve been so blessed with our team for the pilot program,â he said. âThe oncologists, producers, directors, and more have just been wonderful.â
In addition to instructional videos, the Fighting Cancer Network app has other tools that will help patients and caregivers on their journey. It includes a journaling tool to share your story with friends and family; a note-taking portion and the ability to highlight information; a glossary of terms; and more. âThose who try it first will learn about its unique features,â Scalici said, âand we hope theyâll see how helpful it can be.â Ultimately, it will feature the 10 most pervasive cancers (including childhood cancer), and funding is currently underway to develop the full app. ââThe sooner the betterâ is our plan to launch nationwide,â Scalici said.
Bringing Hope. The goal of the app, Scalici said, is to bring hope to its users. âHope is a powerful tool because hope is central to your thoughts,â he said. âKnowledgeable patients are better patients, and it boosts your attitude and your ability to fight. Knowledge gives you the hope you need.â Hope, ultimately, is an offspring of faithâsomething important to the âstrong Christians with powerful faith backgroundsâ who work at the Fighting Cancer Network. âFaith comes into our work,â he said. âIt and hope work together. Itâs a powerful thing.â Visit www.fightingcancernetwork.com to learn more.Â
-Cheryl Wray