I
’ve known
Pat Tomasulo
for years. I’ve
followed him from a distance on social media, crossed paths with him occasionally in the WGN studios, and watched him do what he does best: make people laugh. As a co-host and sports anchor on Chicago’s popular WGN Morning Show, Pat is a familiar face to many. He’s also a successful stand-up comedian with a style and delivery that are uniquely his own. I love comedy, and let’s be honest, not every comedian makes me laugh. Pat does. His timing is sharp, his observations
are on point, and his ability to connect with an audience on stage and on air is undeniable.
But recently, a LinkedIn post caught my attention that revealed another side of Pat. He had been invited to speak at TEDxChicago about something far removed from sports, television, and stand-up comedy: caregiving.
I’ve known about Pat’s wife, Amy, and her ongoing battle with trigeminal neuralgia, a debilitating condition that causes severe neuropathic facial pain. I’d heard him speak about Laugh Your Face Off, the comedy fundraiser he co-founded to support the Facial Pain Research Foundation. Over the years, the event has raised millions of dollars to advance research toward better treatments and, ultimately, a cure. Yet, like many people who know Pat primarily through his work, I realized there was so much more to his story that I had never fully understood.
I’ve wanted to feature Pat in Fete Lifestyle Magazine for some time, and our October Wellness issue felt like the right moment. Wellness is about more than what we eat, how we move, or the routines we follow to feel our best. It’s also about the emotional weight we carry, the people we care for, the resilience we show when life takes an unexpected turn, and the strength it takes to keep showing up when the circumstances are anything but funny.
Our photographer, James Gustin, did a wonderful job capturing Pat’s personality, and I’m honored to share Pat’s story in his own words. In this intimate conversation, we look beyond the familiar faces we see on television and on stage to explore the man behind the microphone: his career, his comedy, his life at home with Amy, and the realities of being a caregiver to someone you love.
Sometimes we think we know someone because we see them regularly, hear their voice, or laugh at their jokes. But we rarely know the full story behind the smile. We don’t see the difficult days, the private worries, the sacrifices, or the moments when someone must find the strength to carry on for another person.
In my book, people like Pat are heroes. Not because they have all the answers or because they never struggle, but because they continue to show up for the people who need them most. And sometimes, the people who make us laugh the hardest are carrying things we can scarcely imagine.