Character Counts: Terminally ill teenager’s college basketball dream comes true
Nov 4, 2014, 1:33 AM | Updated: 1:33 am
All Lauren Hill wanted to do was play college basketball.
It is a dream of many, but to Lauren, it was her dying wish.
The 19-year-old from Lawrenceburg, Indiana loves basketball. Lauren played on the Lawrenceburg High basketball team and on her 18th birthday, committed to play college basketball for Division III Mount St. Joseph.
The sport gave her much joy, but it also revealed the first symptoms of a life-altering condition, according to ESPN.
During her senior season at Lawrenceburg High, Lauren began feeling slow and dizzy while parts of her body felt numb. She went to the doctor last November and was told she had an inoperable brain tumor. She was given two years to live.
An MRI on Lauren’s brain earlier this fall shortened her life expectancy to this December.
Her dream of playing college basketball appeared to be shattered. But Mount St. Joseph Lions head women’s basketball coach Dan Benjamin made sure that was not the case.
While the Lions’ season does not typically begin until late November, the season began a little early this year on Nov. 2.
In front of a sold out crowd of more than 10,000, Lauren and her coach walked arm in arm onto the court for Lauren’s college basketball debut.
Donning a gray No. 22 with the letters “MSJ” on the front, Lauren was given a standing ovation during her introduction.
Lauren scored the first basket of Sunday’s game — a layup from just under the rim.
She scored four points in Mount St. Joseph’s 66-55 victory over Hiram College.
Lauren’s dream of playing college basketball was realized as she was not dying, in that moment, just playing.
