Tennessee first lady Maria Lee diagnosed with lymphoma

Melissa Brown, Nashville Tennessean
·1 min read
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Bill Lee and his wife, Maria, spend time on their Williamson County farm Sept. 9, 2018.
Bill Lee and his wife, Maria, spend time on their Williamson County farm Sept. 9, 2018.

Tennessee first lady Maria Lee has been diagnosed with lymphoma, the governor's office announced Friday.

She is expected to begin treatment immediately.

“Maria and I have learned that she has lymphoma and will begin treatment immediately," the governor said in a statement. "While this news is unexpected, her prognosis is good and it is treatable. Maria and I deeply appreciate prayers for healing. We are hopeful and will share more in the days ahead."

Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system, though it can affect other organs, according to the Mayo Clinic.

First Lady Maria Lee speaks with volunteers at a build May 14 with A Soldier's Journey Home.
First Lady Maria Lee speaks with volunteers at a build May 14 with A Soldier's Journey Home.

Maria Lee grew up in Maryland and has previously discussed learning a life of service from her parents, who fostered infants and cared for elderly neighbors through their church.

"I think it just kind of innately became a part of who I am," Maria Lee said in 2019, after launching her own Tennessee volunteer initiative.

More: First lady Maria Lee is launching her own initiative. She wants you to volunteer more.

She was later drawn to education, which led her to meet her future husband. Maria Lee was the third-grade teacher for Bill Lee's son. The governor's first wife died in a 2000 horse riding accident.

Maria Lee listens to her husband, Governor-elect Bill Lee, during a joint press conference together on Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2018 at the Tennessee State Capitol.
Maria Lee listens to her husband, Governor-elect Bill Lee, during a joint press conference together on Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2018 at the Tennessee State Capitol.

"Maria came into my life just as the skies were clearing," Bill Lee wrote in the epilogue of his book, "The Road I'm On." "And what she has brought to me for the past ten years has been a new level of joy and love and devotion that was difficult for me to even imagine on those cloudiest days."

The two were married in 2008.

Reach Melissa Brown at mabrown@tennessean.com.

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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Gov. Bill Lee's wife Maria Lee diagnosed with lymphoma