"TEAM"

Under 19 Provincial Team

When John first started running it was for reasons that most of us do, he wanted to get back into shape and it was the easiest form of exercise that didn’t require any commitments to some gym or program.  He also discovered that he actually liked running and that it helped him to take his mind away from life’s stresses. However, as much as John’s new passion for running took over his focus, he found that he missed something that he had always been a part of as an athlete; belonging to a “team”. John grew up playing soccer, baseball and basketball and his experiences on these teams allowed him to understand the significance of what it meant to be a teammate, more importantly, a good one!  As a runner you get to decide if you want to push your limits in a race, or back off and take it easy, still whatever decision you make doesn’t affect the other racers, just you.  The same cannot be said for a team sport, in fact, it is quite the opposite; your actions and decisions not only affect you, but essentially they affect the entire team.  The beauty of team sports is the ability to think outside of yourself, and work together with others for a common goal. It is knowing that each role an individual has on that team means something and that no one individual is successful unless his team is behind him. John’s love for basketball and the success and failures that he has experienced playing this sport has taught him many life lessons beyond the game itself; lessons he does not take for granted, especially now!  

Today John’s “team” of specialized Doctors and nurses are no different then the teammates he had in sports...they each have a specific role to play in his treatment, they posses varying talents and expertise, and their common goal is their focus on John’s health and well being.  John could not succeed without them and when he has experienced setbacks, they are there to help us find another way. These past several weeks have had it’s share of ups and downs...John successfully tolerated the first 4 rounds of his chemo treatment but as of late his bone pain has became more prominant. At this point we still do not know if this is the right type of chemotherapy to slow down the growth of his cancer. Recently, it was discovered that somewhere along the way, John fractured one of his ribs. This has significantly contributed to the boughts of an already unbearable pain that he endures due to the cancer.  As a result his daily mobility is now drastically limited. This pain has been fierce and constant and has shown no signs of easing up despite every effort to increase and change up his medication. John is now back at Richmond General Hospital where his medical team has been working on finding the best solution to help alleviate his pain.  On Monday John is scheduled to receive radiation therapy to his ribcage unless scans show other problem areas that need to be addressed. Throughout this ordeal John has once again shown incredible strength and resilience but his fight to take hold of this disease battles on. 

During the past few months John’s family and friends have been organizing an amazing weekend that pays tribute to his love for basketball and the incredible friendships he has developed over the years. It is an opportunity to celebrate community, comradery, competition and the sport that has helped to shape the person John is today. We are both overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support that you have all shown towards our family during this past year!   Hopefully John will be strong enough to attend this event to celebrate life and reconect with all of you :) 
Thank you for being a part of our team!

For more information about this event on August 19 & 20 please visit 
www.johndumontclassic.ca