Nebraska Meteorologist Kent Boughton Announces Stage-Four Cancer Battle
In a deeply emotional social media video posted on Friday, Kent Boughton, the chief forecaster for News Channel Nebraska in Grand Island, revealed he is battling stage-four small cell carcinoma that has spread throughout his body. The 68-year-old beloved weatherman, who has been a fixture in Nebraska broadcasting since the 1970s, shared his heartbreaking diagnosis with his loyal viewers and followers.
Voice Issues Lead to Cancer Discovery
Boughton's health struggles began in January when he lost his voice from what was initially suspected to be laryngitis. After three weeks of medication failed to restore his normal speaking voice, his doctor ordered a CT scan that revealed paralysis on the left side of his vocal cords. Further medical investigations uncovered the root cause: a cancerous tumor in his lung had grown against his left tonsil, paralyzing it and creating the voice problems that ultimately led to his diagnosis.
'If that hadn't happened, I wouldn't have known I had cancer,' Boughton explained in his video disclosure. 'I spent my entire career telling you about storms, trying to save your lives, for crying out loud. Now I'm facing my own storm, my own inside tornado, if you will.'
Treatment and Determination to Continue Working
The veteran meteorologist has already completed one round of chemotherapy and has another scheduled for the end of this month. Despite the challenging road ahead, Boughton expressed his determination to continue working at the television station, even if his voice remains impacted by treatment.
'It isn't an easy road for me. I am not walking it alone,' he told his followers. 'I have an incredible family base, amazing colleagues, and a community here in Grand Island, and the entire state of Nebraska...helping me out and supporting me.'
Previous Health Crisis and Career History
Boughton reminded his audience of their previous support during his 1999 car accident, when he crashed head-on into a semi-truck while taking Chantix medication to quit smoking. He was freed from the vehicle using the jaws of life, life-flighted to hospital, and underwent four hours of surgery for shattered bones in his left hip, foot, and broken kneecap.
'You supported me after my car wreck,' Boughton recalled. 'What was I doing? Driving a car into a semi. Seventeen years ago – I survived that.'
The meteorologist grew up in Grand Island and began his broadcasting career as a DJ at a local radio station when he was just 15 years old. After graduating from Brown Institute in 1977, he worked as a sports and weather director in Idaho before returning to Nebraska two years later. He has worked at several television stations across the Grand Island area before joining News Channel Nebraska last year.
Personal Life and Request for Support
Boughton was married to his first wife Lori for 30 years until her passing in 2017. The couple had two children, Nikki and Chad, who both still live in the area with their families. In October 2019, Boughton remarried to Marcie Ryan, and the couple appears very involved in their grandchildren's lives.
When not forecasting weather, Boughton enjoys hunting, spending time with family, traveling, and collecting rocks and antique beer cans according to his KLKN TV biography.
In his video message, Boughton acknowledged his mortality but vowed to fight his diagnosis with everything he has. 'There is no barcode anywhere on my body that gives me an expiration date,' he said. 'That's pretty much true for all of us. We could all get run over by a car tomorrow.'
The weatherman asked specifically for prayers from his community, noting how their support helped him recover from his previous accident. 'I don't need anything from any of you, except your prayers,' he continued. 'Your kindness, your prayers, your messages, they all mean everything.'
Boughton concluded with determination: 'So I'm going to be here. Prayers last time got me through for 17 years. But I'm going to go as far as I can.'
