Hours before he was set to begin chemotherapy for a rare and aggressive cancer, a weary-sounding Toronto Mayor Rob Ford released an audio message to the city, vowing to defeat his illness and urging people to vote for his brother.
"With the love and support of my family, my friends, and the people of Toronto — I will beat this!" the politician said from his hospital bed. Doctors announced Wednesday that Ford has a large liposarcoma in his abdomen that has spread to his buttock. He will undergo two cycles of intense chemotherapy to see if the tumor can be shrunk.
Ford planned to run for re-election even though he admitted to smoking crack and other misdeeds, but he withdrew after being hospitalized and asked his brother, Doug, to run instead. His recorded message included what amounted to a campaign ad for the younger Ford.
