New Life Academy boys' basketball team rallies for classmate with cancer
WOODBURY, Minn. -- New Life Academy senior Sam Hansen just might be the boys' basketball team's biggest fan -- and they stepped up for her when she needed it the most.
"When someone, especially in your grade, has cancer, it's a huge thing in everyone's mind," Austin Woolf said.
"They all know me, they know I kind of keep to myself and do my own thing. It's great to know that I have them on my side," Sam said.
A three-sport athlete, Sam had to cut her final hockey season short to battle cancer.
"My coaches were great. I was able to stay on as a manager, so I was still involved with the teams, that was special to me," Sam said.
"She played one hockey game this last winter during chemo and it was exhausting, but super, super exciting for her to be able to be out there. And I think that helped her to get a little bit of closure," Sam's mom, Sarah Hansen, said.
The Eagles are a tight group, but the basketball team went above and beyond.
"Some of these guys were out raking leaves just to raise money for medical bills and things like that," Sarah said.
"We made various bracelets for her, we made t-shirts..." Woolf said.
The basketball players love having Sam around and she's showing that love back to them.
"It means the world. Obviously, we're fighting for our state championship, but she was fighting for something way greater than that, she was fighting through cancer, literally her life," Woolf said.
Sam's latest tests have detected no cancer and she's starting up the softball season. She's ready to get back out there and prepare for college at the University of Northwestern and a career in the medical field.