ESPN Jeff Dickerson Who 'Tried Everything' to Save Late Wife Dies from Same Cause Leaving Their Son Orphaned

ESPN reporter Jeff Dickerson recently died only two years after his wife's passing. People and NFL teams are trying to take care of their orphaned son Parker, raising money for him on GoFundMe.

On Tuesday, December 28, Jeff Dickerson, who covered the Chicago Bears for ESPN for two decades, died from colon cancer. He was 44.

Heartbreakingly, Jeff tragically died at the same hospice care facility where his late wife, Caitlin Dickerson, died two years ago.

JEFF'S LOVE FOR HIS FAMILY

A year before her death, Jeff took a leave of absence to care for his ailing spouse and tend to their child. He thanked the network, friends, and colleagues for their unwavering support and concern for his family.

The couple is survived by their only child, son Parker, and Jeff's parents, George and Sandy Dickerson. Many stepped up to raise funds for their teenager. So far, the GoFundMe page has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the 11-year-old.

The page organizer is Jeff's sister-in-law, Jen Etling Hobin. Hobin shared that Jeff delivered the devastating news of his cancer diagnosis earlier this year.

THE GOFUNDME

Still, the radio host remained optimistic, hoping that he would beat the disease to be there for his son. Hobin said the doting father was proud of Parker's achievements at such a young age, adding he also loved working for ESPN:

"Every dollar raised will directly support Parker's education, health, welfare, and athletics."

The fund has already raised just over $720,000 and counting. The Bears donated $25,000, and several other NFL teams and owners have made significant donations.

Following the news of his death, ESPN 1000 paid tribute to Jeff, writing on Twitter that they would be honoring his memory, and said he was a good teammate, dad, and friend.

A GREAT DAD

Last month, Jeff posted a photo of his son in his sports gear tying his shoes while seated on the couch and tweeted that he was disappointed Parker's LBC Football Featherweight season ended.

But he also shared his team had a great year but had lots of areas to improve for next season, adding youth tackle football is impressive in Illinois.

HONORING HIS WIFE CAITLIN

He also announced the passing of his wife in February 2019 on social media and praised her for the kind of woman she was. Jeff stated the mother of his child was an inspiration and refused to let cancer dictate her life:

“Caitlin was the best wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend you could ever ask for. We love her dearly.”

Caitlin died at age 39 and had been diagnosed with cancer since 2011. She had undergone treatment for melanoma and its complications for eight years. Drugs and medicines were not available when she was first diagnosed with melanoma on her finger, which spread to her brain.

Months after her passing, Jeff honored her memory by giving back through ESPN 1000's annual radio telethon, where they auctioned off prizes to benefit the V Foundation.