"It's in the hands of God." Dick Vitale keeps the faith. (And makes his Final Four picks.)

The ESPN legend has been silenced during his fight against vocal cord cancer, but he's not giving up. An exclusive interview.

Since 1979, Dick Vitale has been the voice of college basketball, not only for ESPN (the only network he has worked for), but the sport itself. Alas, that voice was silenced last year when Vitale was diagnosed with vocal cord cancer. That was the third time Vitale was diagnosed with cancer in recent years, and it required dozens of radiation treatments. Those treatments proved effective as Vitale is now cancer free, but the damage to his vocal cords have prevented him from calling any games this season.

I’ve known Dick for more than 30 years, so I know, as do all of you, that this is not a man who suffers in silence. He has documented his entire struggle through his various social media channels, which he operates himself. He shares his fight not only to let his fans know what is happening with him, but also to build awareness for the true cause of his life, raising money for pediatric cancer. The centerpiece of that effort is an annual gala that Vitale hosts in Sarasota, Fla., in early May. These dinners are wonderful occasions, and over the years they have raised nearly $70 million. If you are interested in attending (highly recommend!) or donating (you’ll feel so good!), please go here.

This has been a big week in Vitale’s recovery, as he met on Monday in Boston with the surgeon who recently performed surgery on his vocal cords designed to strengthen them so that he can call games again. Over the last several days, I interviewed Vitale via text messages for details on his condition, his prognosis, his mindset, and of course, his Final Four picks. Here are key portions of that conversation, which have been edited for length and clarity.

SD: Let’s begin with your current status. What’s the latest?