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Initial uneasiness turned out to be cancer
19-year old Lauren Hill does not have many days to live. She was preparing herself for a basketball career after she was selected to play for Mount Saint Joseph University in Cincinnati. The youngster is now hoping she can step onto the court one last time before saying goodbye to this world.
Lauren is suffering from an inoperable form of brain cancer called DIPG (Diffused Intrinsic Pentene Gleoma). She has been told by the doctors that she can't make it past this December. She told Brad Johansen about her will to fight back.
She was confirmed to play for Mount St. College on October1, 2013. "I said, 'Oh, I gotta make a memory on my birthday," Lauren said. "I called the coach and said that I'm coming to The Mount to play." Her health wasn’t the same after a few days from receiving a call from the college. It all started in the middle of her senior year when she started to feel dizzy and couldn’t concentrate on her game.
"I wasn't keeping up with the other girls," she said. "My ball-handling was sloppy, so I just figured I was out of shape." Learn about her story in the video below.
Never Give Up
Lisa Hill, Lauren’s mother initially thought it could be due to a concussion. "That's when we took her into [Riley's Children's Hospital]," Lisa said. The doctors said she had only two years to live. But she did not give up playing basketball. "I never gave up for a second even when I got a terminal diagnosis," Lauren said. "Never thought about sitting back and not living life anymore."
Lauren spent the last year travelling with family. They visited Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls and a Make-A-Wish vacation to Hawaii. An MRI was taken in September which confirmed the tumor’s growth and doctors told her she cannot make it past December.
"One game," Lauren told Mount St. Joseph basketball coach Dan Benjamin. "I want to play one college game." Hiram college has agreed to come to Mount Saint Joseph college on November 2, ahead of the scheduled November 15 away game. The NCAA has agreed for the shift in games.
Lauren is excited to play in what is expected to be a packed house. "I love the roar of the crowd, the squeaking of the shoes," Lauren said. "I can't wait to be on this court and wearing No. 22."
Her story was shared on WLWT recently.
