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Athlete Of The Month

Multi Sport Player From Alabama
Maggie Pace

www.caringbridge.org/visit/maggiepace 

Maggie was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma on October 17, 2007

Here is Maggie's amazing story, as told to us by her Mother

Scroll down to read our personal interview with Maggie

You will not want to miss the inspirational words of this amazing young lady

Maggie's Story.................

Maggie Rose Pace has been involved in sports since an early age.  She started taking dance classes at age 3, playing softball at age 4, and playing league basketball at age 6.  During the summer of 2007 I noticed that Maggie was more tired than usual and had lost considerable weight.  She was in the middle of softball season and the pitcher for her team.  During this time she made the move from “league” softball, to a more competitive “travel” softball team.  After playing in a few games, Maggie started running a low grade fever.  Several doctors’ visits and misdiagnosis later, Maggie was taken to the emergency room with shortness of breath and continuing fever.  I ask them to do a chest x-ray, thinking it might be pneumonia.  The x-ray (temporarily) confirmed pneumonia and she was admitted to the hospital.  By the next day, the doctor decided it was not pneumonia and we were sent directly to Children’s Hospital in Birmingham, AL.

After numerous x-rays, scans, a biopsy, a bone marrow aspiration, and more test than I can remember, Maggie was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma on October 17, 2007, at the age of 10.  Maggie’s treatment schedule consisted of 2 ½ months of chemotherapy and 16 rounds of radiation.  During this treatment, Maggie lost her beautiful long hair along with 20% of her body weight.  She also had excruciating joint pain, but she never let her spirits down.  The thing she hated most was being isolated from her friends and not being involved with her sports.  Basketball season had started and her softball team was playing fall tournaments. She even went to the Harbor at Children’s Hospital and played basketball with an IV hooked up to her port!   In between treatments, if her blood counts were ok, she was able to play in several softball and basketball games. 

Maggie finished treatments in February 2008.  She  was declared NED (no evidence of disease) in May 2008.  In June 2008, she participated in her dance recital and this week, after tryouts, she was picked to play Clara (the lead) in the annual performance of the Nutcracker at her dance studio.    She also tried out and made the “travel” basketball team in our area.  Maggie decided to return to league softball because of the time constraints involved with “travel” softball.  She is currently playing on a “fall league softball team” in our area, not to mention participating in “show choir” and winning several beauty pageants at her school.  She actually returned this year as the crowning winner from 2007.  Maggie also intends on trying out for the volleyball team at school next year.& nbsp; She wants to do it all!     

Throughout her ordeal, Maggie never lost her drive and “spunk”!  She worked hard on getting back to normal physically and was even inducted into the honor society at school.  She continues to be a straight A student.  She knew in her heart that cancer was just a “pot hole” in the road of life and she never lost faith in God’s ability to heal her.  Although cancer has robbed her of many things, she has gained a greater capacity for compassion and a much deeper faith.  Maggie has been an active participant in the “Relay for Life” event and was named “honorary patient” for the “Light The Night” event this year.  She is currently gathering donations of Halloween costumes that she will take to the children on 4 Tower (the cancer floor) at Children’s Hospital on October 31st.  Maggie is an amazing girl and truly my HERO!

Michele Broadfoot, Maggie's Mother

INTERVIEW:
With Maggie Pace by Alex Avram

1. Tell us about your diagnosis and what symptoms you had which lead you to seek medical attention.  

It all started during softball season last summer.  I started feeling really bad and I was tired all the time.  I was never hungry and I lost 20 pounds.  When I ran the bases in softball, I would get extremely out of breath. My mom took me to the doctor several times, but they didn’t know what was wrong with me.  They thought it might be athletic induced asthma.  By September I started running a 102 degree fever.  My mom got worried because before then, I very rarely got sick and almost never ran a fever.  She took me to the emergency room and they thought I had pneumonia and admitted me to the hospital.  The next morning, the doctor saw something on the x-ray that wasn’t pneumonia and he sent us straight to Children’s Hospital in Birmingham.  After a lot of test, the doctors at Children’s Hospital told my mom that I had Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.      

2. What were your initial thoughts upon learning of your diagnosis?  

At first I thought about how much school I would have to miss.  Up until then I had always had perfect attendance.  Then I started thinking, this is really serious.  I could actually die!  I was so confused and scared!  I think my whole family was in shock.  I just didn’t understand what was going on.  There were so many doctors and nurses that were doing tests and procedures.  I felt like I was in the worst nightmare of my life, and I couldn’t wait to wake up.  

3. I know you are a multi sport player.  Tell us what sports you play what you like about each one?  

I started playing softball when I was 4 years old.  Softball is just plain FUN!  I love striking batters out, catching pop flies, and stealing bases (especially sliding)!  I started playing basketball when I was 6 years old.  I love the fast pace of basketball, it keeps my heart pumping and my blood flowing!  Most of all, I love the feeling of “teamwork” and accomplishment I get with all the sports I play.  Even dance.  You can’t win a game or pull off a dance recital without working together!  

4.  You are also a dancer.  How long have you been dancing and what do you like most about it?  

I have been dancing for 9 years.  I love dance because it works entirely different muscles than other sports.  We have a recital every summer and we also do a production of the Nutcracker in the winter.  This year I was chosen to be Clara in the Nutcracker!  I really love being on the stage during dance recital!  I guess I’m a big “ham”.   

5.  Were you able to keep participating with sports and dance after your diagnosis? 

If not, how did you keep your spirits up during that time?   I was able to play in a couple of basketball games during my treatments. It really depended my blood counts and how I felt.  I was not able to be in the Nutcracker last year, which was really disappointing because I participate in it every year.  I was not able to play tournaments with my softball team during treatments, but I went to the games and hung out in the dugout with the girls.  During one tournament, while I was in the hospital, my team won 1st place and brought the trophy to the hospital and gave it to me.  That really made me feel good!!  

6.  How did your teammates and coaches react to your diagnosis and in what ways were they supportive?  

For starters, they were in shock just like me.  But all my teammates were great, including my dance class.  As I said, my softball team came to the hospital in Birmingham to give me the trophy they had won in a tournament.  There were more calls, cards, gifts and e-mails than I can count from teammates and parents.  A lot of them signed my Caringbridge site with encouraging messages too.  Everyone was great!

7.  Do you feel your training as an athlete helped you to cope with your diagnosis and if so, how?  

Yes, because when you play a softball or basketball game, or even a dance recital, you have to work together to produce winning results.  It is the same when you are fighting cancer.  Your family, doctors and nurses, and everyone around you, including yourself, have to work together and push toward a common goal, beating cancer.  It’s all about “teamwork”.  Also, playing sports has taught me to not give up when things aren’t going my way.  No one likes to lose a game, but everyone will sometime.  No one wants cancer, but some of us had no choice.  I chose to play sports and dance, but I did not choose cancer, it chose me.  

8.  Do you feel that your teammates understood your fight on a different level than your family and if so, how?    

Yes because they are all kids like me.  They didn’t really understand how serious it was, just like I didn’t know before it struck me.  At first, they didn’t know what to say to me or how to act.  But as soon as they got used to the idea, it was like nothing had changed.  They even took up for me when some girls on another team made fun of me because I didn’t have any hair!  

9.  Tell us about the support of your family and friends.  

I remember the first day I was told I had CANCER, my mom prayed with me. I will never forget that day. The only thing I would eat was crab legs and my daddy always would take me to eat them. All of my friends were wonderful!  Several of the classes at school made cards for me and my class made me a quilt with “get well” messages from all my classmates.  My boyfriend, Peyton, and his mom were at the hospital all the time supporting me and bringing gifts.  Then there is my best friend Abby, she made me all kinds of stuff. My church family at Macedonia brought meals to us and most of all, prayed for me.  Everyone in our community prayed for me, which is the best support I could have ask for.  

10.  Do you have any religious convictions that you feel helped you through everything and if so, how?  

Being a Christian and having faith that God would heal me is the greatest comfort that I had.  I know in my heart that everything happens for a reason and that God has a plan for all of us.  We don’t always know the purpose of the plan, but God is in control and we have to trust Him.  When I was in pain, I would pray for God to take it away…and He did.  He answered all my prayers!  My faith has grown so much because of cancer.  I always knew that I could trust in God to take care of me, but I never knew how great and powerful He is until I actually had to place my life in His hands.  Prayer is a powerful thing, I am living proof!  

11. What advice do you have for any athlete who may be faced with a diagnosis that is going to temporarily

      keep them from participating with their sport?  

Like my mom always tell me, “don’t sweat the small stuff, control what you can and leave the rest to God”.  Missing a ball game or recital is a big deal at the time, but looking back, it really is a small thing compared to getting yourself well.  Don’t give up hope, be patient and pray for healing, and you will be back with your team before you know it.     “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer” Romans 12:12  

12.  What do you think you have learned from your illness?  Has it changed you and in what way?  

I have changed in so many ways!  I have learned you can never take life for granted and NEVER GIVE UP!!!  I have been forced to see a reality that I didn’t know existed.  There are so many kids with cancer.  I knew that kids could get cancer, but I had no idea there were so many.  There is not enough awareness for childhood cancer!  I have so many friends that are still going through cancer treatments.  Their lives have been put on hold because of this horrible monster.  We all need to do something about it!!!  My mom and I are dedicated to making a difference.  All of my “chemo-buddies” and myself, are doing things like “costume drives” for Halloween and “stocking projects” for Christmas to bring a little happiness to the kids going through cancer treatments at Children’s Hospital.  There are so many things people can do to bring encouragement and help to these kids and their families!!!  Who knows, maybe someday one of us “cancer kids” will find a CURE!!!