When Kendra Wilson takes the field at Paycor Stadium to sing the national anthem before the Cincinnati Bengals’ Oct. 4 Crucial Catch game, the moment will carry special meaning.
Cancer survivor
Kendra, manager of onboarding and transitions for Kettering Health Medical Group, is a cervical and uterine cancer survivor. At age 28, her doctor followed up a routine well-woman visit with news that would change her life.
“She told me that I had grade 3 squamous cell carcinoma,” Kendra recalled.
Further testing confirmed cervical and uterine cancer. The diagnosis was frightening.
“I was terrified,” she said.
Doctors recommended surgery and prepared Kendra for the possibility of additional treatment, including chemotherapy and radiation. Fortunately, the cancer had been contained.
Kendra continued regular follow-up appointments and testing for years before receiving the news she had hoped for.
“After five years, they cleared me and said that I could call myself cancer-free,” she said.
Crucial Catch
For Kendra, singing the national anthem before the Bengals’ Oct. 4 game brings together several important parts of her life: cancer survivorship, a 23-year career at Kettering Health, a lifelong love of the Bengals, and a passion for music that began in childhood.
Today, Kendra’s experience gives her a personal connection to the NFL’s Crucial Catch initiative, which promotes cancer awareness, early detection, and prevention. Kettering Health and the Bengals support the initiative through education, outreach, and efforts that encourage proactive care.
The anthem performance also gives Kendra an opportunity to represent an organization that has been central to her life for more than two decades.
A “lifer”
Kendra joined Kettering Health in 2003 and has held roles in billing, operations, information systems, and project management before moving into leadership. She credits mentors and leaders throughout the organization for helping shape her career.
“I’ve had some really fantastic leaders over the years who have challenged me and pushed me outside of my comfort zone to be the best version of myself,” Kendra said. “I’m so grateful. I’m a lifer.”
The opportunity carries additional meaning because of Kendra’s lifelong connection to the Bengals. She credits her mother, a devoted Bengals fan, for passing along her love of Cincinnati sports.
“My mom is a diehard Bengals fan,” she said. “The Bengals are our team.”
Her mother, who now lives in Nevada, plans to travel to Ohio for the game.
“For my mom, this is a dream come true,” Kendra said. “She is incredibly proud that her daughter has the honor of singing the national anthem at the Bengals game, the team she has loved and supported since 1968.”
Music has also been a constant throughout Kendra’s life. Raised near Cincinnati in a musical family, she grew up singing in church and around relatives who regularly sang together.
As Oct. 4 approaches, Kendra plans to keep practicing and preparing for the moment.
“It’s such a huge honor to not only represent the team that you love and your country, but to represent the company that you’re so proud to work for,” she said. “That’s huge.”
