Area schools honor cancer patients on homecoming
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and two local high schools are honoring former players whose careers were cut short by a cancer diagnosis. However they were back on the field for Friday's homecoming game between their respective schools: East View and Cedar Park.
The friday night lights in cedar park are shining bright once again but on this night the focus isn't on the game. It is on Lance White and Wyatt Perez. Former players who are now tackling a bigger opponent, cancer.
"When I found out that I had two brain tumors that were cancerous it was really breathtaking. I didn't really understand what that meant and I didn't understand what I was going to go through," Perez said.
"At first it was like 'what's going to happen from this point on? Am I going to die, am I going to live, what's going to happen, what's in my future?'" White said.
Shortly after being diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 13, Lance started the Lift Brigade. A foundation to help kids going through painful cancer treatments.
"It's just something to take their mind off of things. If they have the mind on a treatment, it does hurt. It hurts when you have that mindset all the time. But whenever you driftoff into that different mindset it's kind of like 'I feel fine, I can do this, this is easy,'" White said.
Although cancer has forced them to stop playing the game they love, it could not keep them off the field. Now the only thing that's brighter than the lights above the field is the hope that these two friends now have.
"Having these people around me has really boosted my momentum because when you're down and facing the dark side it's not very fun. When you have these people to help you fight it just uplifts you and gets you ready for an even bigger fight," Perez said.
"I love being out here with these guys every Friday and just being with another person that's going through the same treatment and same things that I am it's a blessing upon my soul," White said.
Lance and Wyatt are still undergoing treatments but they are hopeful to be cancer free soon. For more information on the Lift Brigade, click here.