Former Fort Worth City Council member announces cancer diagnosis
Former Fort Worth city council members Gyna Bivens announced Friday she has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Bivens, 71, made the announcement in a press release that’s been reshared by Fort Worth and Tarrant County elected officials.
“I have always believed in the importance of transparency, and in that spirit, I want to personally share an update about my health,” Bivens said in the statement.
Bivens said she’s undergoing an in-patient evaluation at Clements University Hospital in Dallas.
“Your thoughts, prayers, and support mean the world to me during this time. As more information becomes available, I will be sure to keep you informed,” Bivens said in her statement.
Colleagues voice support for Bivens
Public officials from across the political spectrum put out statements supporting Bivens, who was on the council from 2013 to 2025.
“Please join me in praying for former Fort Worth City Councilwoman Gyna Bivens. Get well soon, Gyna!” Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare said in posts on Facebook and X.
“Prayers going up for former Mayor Pro Tem Bivens!” wrote Forth Worth District 5 city council member Deborah Peoples, who succeeded Bivens on the City Council.
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, who served with Bivens both as mayor and as chief of staff to former Mayor Betsy Price, called Bivens a friend whom she loves dearly.
“She is a pillar of leadership in our community, and I have no doubt she will face this battle with tenacity, courage and grace,” Parker said in a Facebook post, adding Bivens had a whole community of support wishing her strength and recovery.
Current Mayor Pro Tem and District 2 council member Carlos Flores, who served with Bivens from June 2017 to her retirement in May 2025, expressed sadness at her diagnosis.
“This is particularly heartbreaking to share,” Flores wrote in a post on Facebook. “She is a dear friend. Please keep her in your prayers,” he said.
Fort Worth school board trustee Tobi Jackson, whose district overlapped with Bivens’, also put out a call for prayer while commending Bivens on her years of service to the city.
“She carefully etched through glass ceilings and moved elegantly to improve our city for the greater good. She has consistently delivered leadership during some of the toughest decades Fort Worth has faced,” Jackson wrote.
District 3 council member Michael Crain, who served with Bivens from 2021 to 2025, thanked her for her years of service to the city.
“We wish you the best through this process. #cancerawareness,” Crain wrote in a post on Facebook.
District 10 council member Alan Blaylock, who served with Bivens from 2022 to 2025, echoed calls for prayer.
“She is an incredibly strong woman, my friend, and serving on Council with her was an honor,” he said in a Facebook post.
District 4 council member Charlie Lauersdorf, who joined the city council in 2023, said in at text to the Star-Telegram that he was initially afraid of Bivens, but became friends fast.
“She’s no-nonsense and doesn’t play politics and has a heart of gold. Hearing of her diagnosis was heartbreaking, but I know Gyna is a fighter and cancer chose the wrong woman to mess with!,” he said.
District 6 council member Mia Hall called Bivens a pillar of strength and leadership in Fort Worth.
“Her service on the City Council and her steadfast commitment to uplifting our community have left an undeniable mark on our city,” she said in a text message to the Star-Telegram.
Hall also reflected on her family’s ties to Bivens, noting the former council member was a longtime friend of her uncle, and became a source of inspiration for Hall growing up.
“Gyna’s leadership, integrity, and compassion exemplify what it means to serve,” Hall said, adding she had confidence Bivens would meet the challenge of her diagnosis with the grace and strength that have defined her career.
District 8 council member Chris Nettles said in a text that his thoughts and prayers were with Bivens.
“Gyna is a fighter, she fought every day for over a decade for the people of Fort Worth-I’m confident she will fight just as hard for her health and family,” he said.
District 7 council member Macy Hill said in a text message that she was heartbroken about the news.
“My thoughts and prayers are with her as she goes through treatment. I have always respected her ability to show up, work across the dais and solve problems for this city,” Hill said.
Bivens’ time on the City Council
Bivens was a relentless advocate for her east Fort Worth district.
She pushed for new zoning rules in her home neighborhood of Stop Six to address bright and spur more housing development.
Stop Six also became the first neighborhood in the city’s Neighborhood Improvement Program. It eventually earned a $35 million federal grant to redevelop the Cavile Place public housing project.
The Stop Six Choice Neighborhood Initiative is on track to develop 924 housing units, which will more than triple the amount from the old Cavile Place development.
The project recently celebrated the opening of Hughes House — named for legendary Dunbar High School basketball coach Robert Hughes.
Bivens also advocated for stronger protections for the city’s tree canopy after Arlington-based D.R. Horton nearly clear-cut 51 acres in east Fort Worth as part of a 219-home development in 2018.
The city passed new rules in April quadrupling the fines on developers for unauthorized cutting of trees.
District 9 council member Elizabeth Beck praised Bivens for her advocacy during the April 2025 council meeting.
“There’s no one who speaks for the trees like you, council woman Bivens,” Beck said, while thanking her for educating the younger members of the council about the importance of protecting the city’s tree canopy.
This story was originally published October 31, 2025 at 2:56 PM.
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