Lauren Hill, a freshman at Mount St. Joseph’s University, received news that many of us could only scarcely imagine shortly after her 18th birthday.
Back in November of 2013, the former standout at Lawrenceburg High School in Indiana was diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, which is an inoperable brain tumor with a zero percent surival rate. This came shortly after Hill had committed to play basketball at Mount St. Joseph’s.
Adding more to this tragedy, Hill was originally given a best-case scenario of two years to live before a recent MRI showed that she probably wouldn’t make it through the year.
Despite all this, Hill has remained upbeat about things and has refused to just give up (via WKRC in Cincinnati).
I’m not scared of leaving, because I won’t be here…But the people I worry about are the people I’m leaving behind. . . . I never gave up for a second, even when they told me that I had a terminal diagnosis. I never for a second thought about sitting down and not living life anymore.
Now, about a month until her team was scheduled to open its season against Hiram College, the school decided to petition the NCAA to move the game up a couple weeks in a move that should enable Hill to suit up for one last time. And in a surprising decision that shows some humanity on its part, the NCAA has agreed to reschedule the game for early November.
For Hill, it’s one last chance to play the game she loves so much.
I still love the roar of the crowd and the bouncing of the balls and the squeaking of the shoes and people working hard and fighting. And I just can’t wait to be standing on this court in a basketball uniform, with the No. 22.
Check out the rest of Hill’s story below.
Special thanks to Fox Sports for finding this story that is both uplifting and tragic at the same time.