After cancer diagnosis, heart surgery, beloved Columbus radio DJ is on the air again
A beloved Columbus radio DJ has returned to the airwaves after a months-long hiatus to deal with health issues, including cancer and heart surgery.
Bear O’Brian, whose real name is Wade Collier, returned to Kissin’ 99.3 this week, according to a post on the station’s Facebook page.
“(It’s) gotta be one of the greatest feelings in the world,” O’Brian told the Ledger-Enquirer about being back on the air.
O’Brian previously told the Ledger-Enquirer he was going through chemotherapy to treat non-Hodgkin lymphoma at the end of 2024. He hoped treatment would end in February 2025. O’Brian took a break from being on the air after his diagnosis, but he returned to work before taking another break this year.
O’Brian told the Ledger-Enquirer this week that his doctor said his cancer is gone, but he hasn’t been declared cancer-free yet. O’Brian said he will have checkups every three months to make sure the cancer stays gone.
O’Brian said he also had to have surgery on his heart, undergoing a quadruple bypass and having a stent inserted. He said his doctors would not have realized there was an issue with his heart if he hadn’t been diagnosed with cancer.
“I’m just feeling stronger every day,” he said, “and I really, really feel good.”
O’Brian said his favorite thing about being back on the air is touching the audience and connecting one-on-one with them.
“They make all kinds of comments on Facebook,” he said, “and they say sweet things, and I’m glad they were all praying for me.”
O’Brian said it’s “indescribable” having the listeners’ support.
“They really genuinely care about me ‘cause I care about them,” he said, “and it’s just like a family.”
O’Brian called the radio station staff his “second family.” They took care of him and filled in for his show, he said.
O’Brian also expressed gratitude for his listeners.
“Thank you for the prayers,” he said. “Thank you for loving me, and I’ve always been praying for them too ‘cause I do realize there are people out there going through worse than what I’m going through. So, we all need to lift each other up, but I just want them to know I love them.”
O’Brian’s new show airs weekdays from 5:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Kissin’ 99.3, the station said in a Facebook post.
He was honored with his own day in Columbus on Dec. 18, 2024.
This story was originally published November 21, 2025 at 4:02 PM.