Hill’s spirit, dedication serves as inspiriation

Aaron+Weatherford

Aaron Weatherford

Usually when it comes to writing opinions about sports, I leave that to Ian, Matt or Kelvin. And I originally wanted to write my editorial this week about visiting Paris last month, but an event occurred this week I felt needed more attention.

Over the last several months, I have kept tabs on a Division III college basketball player, Lauren Hill from Mt. Saint Joseph University in Ohio. While most college freshman are so involved in wanting to do this or that, Lauren had only one goal on her mind: playing in her first college basketball game.

Lauren was diagnosed in 2013 with terminal brain cancer. The doctors at the time said the tumor was the size of a lemon, growing daily and was inoperable.

Thanks to some help from the NCAA and their scheduled opponent, the Terriors of Hiram University, the first home game of the 2014-15 season was moved up two weeks, and to a larger venue. You see, Lauren had 10,000 friends and family who wanted to share the moment with her.

Lauren’s coach drew up a play called Lauren’s Layup. Mt. Saint Joseph got the opening tip, and Lauren’s teammates got her the ball, allowing her to score the first basket not only of the game, but also of her collegiate career.

After her diagnosis, Lauren co-founded a non profit called The Cure Starts Now. The mission of the organization is to raise funds for pediatric cancer research and treatment. To date, this organization has raised over $1.5 million.

I first watched the interview Steve Hartman from CBS Evening News did with Lauren online. The emotion shown by not only Hartman, and anchor Scott Pelley was clear. The fact that a young woman was faced with certain death, but did not waiver from her goal, gives us all something to think about.

Regardless of the situation we find ourselves in, we need to take a look at what we have, and make the best of it. Lauren could have given up, but instead kept her eye on her dream.

Lauren Hill, Mt. St. Joseph University, freshman, passed away at 19 this past week.