Just last month, Detroit mourned the loss of Andy Isaac. The beloved “World of Isaac”. A fan who turned his 19-year battle with cancer into something of a ‘stay happy’ motivation through his humor, grit… and, well, his Detroit pride. Now, in April. The Lions’ fight continues. Same name, same battle, and the same passion for the city. Another Andrew, lifelong Lions fan, and wife of Jacques Spiegel whose words cut deep with how she has rallied the Lions.
The news came straight from Jacques herself: Stage 3 esophageal adenocarcinoma. So, they have scheduled Andrew’s treatment plan. Not gonna lie, just the thought of it can make someone weak because it’s brutal with all the chemo, radiation, and surgery. Then back at it again. In her words, “it’s a mountain.”
But like any true Lion, she and the whole family are lacing up the boots for Andre. At least, they have each other’s backs. “We were built for this,” Jacques wrote. “We have grit.” And now, they’re calling on the one man who embodies grit in Detroit football — Coach Dan Campbell.
This wasn’t a random post. It was a rally cry. Lions fans were asked to blow up Dan’s DMs, flood the comment sections, and make sure the Campbell family saw Andrew’s story. Because when you’re in the trenches, sometimes all it takes is a voice — one voice — to make you feel like you’re not in the battle alone. And when it comes to voices? Dan’s could probably motivate a brick wall to run a post route.
Guess, that’s why Jacques’ wrote: “We are calling on every Lions fan, every friend, every family member, every warrior in our circle to help us get the attention of one man: Dan Campbell. Head Coach of the @detroitlionsnfl… The team gave us something these past few years that meant more than just football—it gave us a reason to believe that comebacks are real, and that underdogs can rise. We would love nothing more than a truly loud and raw Coach Campbell speech, a video, a message—anything from Dan Campbell to lift my husband’s spirits and remind him that he’s not in this fight alone. “
So, it turns out that mass DMing worked. Holly Campbell saw the post. And she responded. In her Instagram story, she wrote: “Praying for and sending all the positive vibes to Andrew. You’ve got this!” Simple. Heartfelt. Direct. But coming from her? It meant the world. Because, obviously, she’s the better half of Dan. Then, there’s the case how vocal she has been over the years. Showing her support. So, when she texted, now, it makes sense why it blew up.
See it like this: Holly and Dan have quietly become warriors for the cause. Whether it’s honoring fighters like Andy Isaac or working with Detroit-based cancer charities, the Campbells have made it clear: this community is family. And if you’re part of the Lions family, they’ve got your back. That includes the Andrews. That includes Jacques. And that includes anyone who’s going through this battle. Alone or not, doesn’t matter.
Holly and Dan, the Campbells know about the mental battles all too well
You know Dan Campbell. The guy yelling on the sidelines, veins about to burst, chewing on fourth downs like they’re kneecaps. But off the field? There’s another Campbell running the show—Holly. No, not just Dan’s wife. The Holly we will be talking about might just be the Lioness Detroit didn’t know it needed.
That’s because she’s a fighter. Born ready. But why all this? Most fans didn’t even know about her long-term health condition that she quietly revealed on Instagram. All it took was a comment about her skincare routine and Holly dropped this: “When I was diagnosed with rosacea, I started using Avene products. Holy c— they are good!!” No PR spin. No soft launch. Just Holly, raw and real in the comment section, mid-celebration of hitting 100K followers.
Now rosacea? It’s a chronic inflammatory skin condition that can flare up from stress, emotions, weather—you name it. And if you’re married to the head coach of the Lions, where Sundays are basically emotional demolition derbies? Yeah, it adds up.
But Holly didn’t make it about the struggle. She made it about finding what works and pushing through. And just like Dan, who turned a mid franchise into a playoff contender, Holly didn’t ask for sympathy—just kept showing up, game after game, decked out, defending the Den.
That’s the thing—this isn’t just about rosacea, or football, or even Instagram. It’s about grit. Holly and Dan? They’ve both had to fight battles, visible or not. So now, what they have learnt from their own experiences, they just want to give back to Detroit whenever they can. Maybe that’s why Jacques was reaching out to the Campbells in the first place because she knew their love for the fans.
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