WENDY DIO Donates More Than $100,000 To Cancer Research Program In Houston

According to 39 News, Wendy Dio, the widow and manager of legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (BLACK SABBATH, HEAVEN & HELL, DIO, RAINBOW, ELF),was back in Houston, Texas on Wednesday (December 8) to present a $117,000 check to Ronnie's physician, Dr. Ajani, at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center for his esophageal cancer research program.

"We are honored that Wendy Dio has chosen to establish a foundation in Ronnie's memory," said Michelle Moore with external communications at M.D. Anderson. "[She] is determined to create more awareness to the community about early detection [and] screening, and to further research in this area."

Speaking to 39 News photojournalist Scott Goldsmith, Wendy said about her late husband, "Every day it's so... little things happen and I go, 'Oh, I've gotta tell Ronnie.' And then it's like, 'I can't tell him, I can't talk to him.' I sort of talk to him — maybe I'm crazy, but I do. But that's what's really, really hard. I can never hug him again, I can never talk about whatever... That's very, very, very hard. Very hard."

According to Wendy, Ronnie's battle with stomach cancer "made [Ronnie and I] much, much closer — 'cause we were so determined to beat it. We would say, 'Oh, we're gonna kill this dragon.' 'Cause he had an album called 'Killing The Dragon', so we decided this cancer was a dragon and we were gonna slay it."

Regarding her decision to form the Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund, a charity in memory of Ronnie James Dio to help find a cure for stomach cancer, Wendy said, "We decided, when Ronnie passed... 'cause his goal was he wanted to get well and do a charity and raise money for cancer research. And so when he passed away, I decided I would carry on and do that — giving it to M.D. Anderson, giving it to T.J. Martell [Foundation for Leukemia, Cancer and AIDS Research], helping kids out with things. We have a choice of what we can do with that money and it's gotta go to the right place."

On what advice she would give to other people in the wake of Ronnie's passing: "I think what you have to do is make every day as if it was your last. Give your children a hug. Don't argue. It's pettiness — there's no point. You might not see that person the next day. You don't realize that life is short."

Watch a 39 News video report below.