Cancer patient who inspired Peyton Manning dies

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – An Indiana native cancer patient who Peyton Manning treated to a football game this past season, has died.

Kari Bollig lost her battle with stage four breast cancer this week.

Bollig is an Indiana native who moved to Wyoming, but had always remained a Manning fan. Last season he heard her story after she wrote him a letter. After reading the letter he flew her from Wyoming to Denver in September 2015, got her tickets to the game and then met her during practice.

Bollig spoke with 24-Hour News 8 in March about last year’s experience.

“I at first thought it was a joke, and I was like, ‘Are you kidding me?’” Bollig said. “And I’m like yelling to my husband, ‘Guess what? The Broncos are wanting to bring us down and Peyton wants to meet me.’”

Bollig was invited to a practice. She met Manning and Denver’s head coach, and that wasn’t all.

“We got princess parking, and everything to get into the game, and field passes and things like that,” Bollig said. “We pretty much felt like celebrities when we got there.”

Bollig said she hoped Hoosiers will appreciate him for what he did off the field.

“That’s what’s really going to touch people hearts and they’re going to remember him for that,” Bollig said.

A few weeks after the meeting, Bollig received a photo of her and Manning in the mail. It was signed, “From your friend, Peyton Manning.”

A celebration of life for Kari Bollig will be held on Friday, August 19th, at 5:30 p.m. in Rock Springs Wyoming.