Hill recorded her first bucket on Nov. 2 leading her team to a 66-55 victory over Hiram College. What’s so special about her? Is it her layups? Hill has inoperable brain cancer, and is not expected to see 2015, but she’s determined to play ball.
Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma is resistant to chemotherapy treatments and affects mostly children. Once diagnosed less than 10 percent of children diagnosed with DIPG will not live longer than 18 months, according The Cure Starts Now website.
Hill was diagnosed with the disease in 2013 on Nov. 20. “Not a lot of people know about DIPG, and the kids that are diagnosed with DIPG,” she told The Blaze.
“They tend to lose their voices and can’t express their symptoms like I can, and so I decided that I’m not fighting for myself. I’m going to start fighting for others. And that’s what makes it easier to keep moving on.”
The NCAA allowed the season opener to begin early because of Hill’s condition.
Hill uses basketball to deal with her condition, but is more concerned for her family. Hill’s dominant hand is affected by the tumor, and she gets severe dizzy spells. This spurred the Layup4Lauren challenge to raise money and bring awareness about DIPG by asking people to shoot baskets with the weaker hand after spinning around five times.
She’s worried about her family, not about departing this earth.
“I'm not scared of leaving, of not being here. I won't be here,” she told reporters.“The people I'm worried about are the people I'm leaving behind.” General Mills might have to order more boxes beyond the solo one for Hill.
For more information on Hill's efforts go to http://layup4lauren.org/.
Update: Lauren Hill signed up for hospice to receive more aid for her symptons her family posted Dec. 1, on Facebook, and passed away April 10th of brain cancer. She was only 19, and inspired millions with her passion and faith.
"We are forever grateful to have had Lauren grace our campus with her smile and determined spirit," Mount St. Joe's president Tony Aretz a Cincinnati newspaper.
