Washington Football Team's Coach Ron Rivera Finishes Last Cancer Treatment with Round of Applause

Washington Football Team head coach Ron Rivera has completed his final round of cancer treatment.

Back in late August, the 58-year-old football coach announced that he had been diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma located in a lymph node, detected through a "self-care check." Rivera continued to coach the NFL team between treatments.

The Washington Football Team shared the emotional video on Monday of Rivera walking out of the hospital after undergoing his last round of treatment. In the clip, medical staffers cheer as he walks down the hallway wearing a mask, ringing the victory bell to applause.

On Twitter, Rivera's wife Stephanie — with whom he shares two children, Christopher and Courtney — wrote: "Very emotional moment for @RiverboatRonHC. Hope others battling cancer can also look forward to ringing their bell when they complete treatment."

Rivera also posted pictures of himself from the beginning of treatment to the end, writing, "How it started. How it's going!"

Stephanie thanked the team at Inova Schar Cancer Institute for their care and help, tweeting, "Such great people taking care of so many patients. Feeling blessed for all the dedicated front line workers whose life work is to care for others! #angelsinscrubs."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

In a statement announcing his diagnosis on Aug. 20, the Washington Football Team said Rivera's cancer was "in an early stage, and is considered very treatable and curable, providing a good prognosis for Coach Rivera for a full recovery."

"Coach Rivera has consulted with leading doctors and oncology specialists and is establishing his treatment plan in conjunction with the team's medical staff and his outside physicians," read the statement at the time.

The team added that they wish their coach "a speedy recovery, and we will be supporting him every step of the way."

"Coach Rivera wishes to extend his thanks to the team doctors and athletic trainers, and all of the healthcare specialists who will be assisting him through his treatment plan," read the statement. "In addition, Coach Rivera wishes to extend his heartfelt thanks to the Snyders, coaches, players, staff, and fans of the Washington Football Team, as well as his family for their love and support during this time."

Rivera told Good Morning America earlier this month about his decision to continue coaching while undergoing cancer treatment.

"First of all, it's who I am. Listening to the doctors talking about how important it is to try and do as much of your routine as possible, but they also tell you to be careful, listen to your body," he said. "There's also people watching me, so I'm trying to set the example."

Source: Read Full Article