Skateboarder’s Nightmare In 2006, I had leg pain and it lasted for like four months. I was refusing to get it checked for fear that I would have to stop skateboarding for any amount of time. I was 15 years old. I had a math test I didn’t study for come up one day, and I used it as an excuse to leave and got my leg checked instead. If I hadn’t have done that, I don’t know what would have happened. That day, I was diagnosed with osteosarcoma (bone cancer). 11 years later I’m still fighting it, but not a day passes where I don’t think how lucky I was to just pop over to the hospital. If I would’ve broken my leg (my femur was getting more brittle every day) the tumor would’ve broken and spread to my lungs—and there’s no way I would be sitting here typing this.

ᴮᵉʷᵃʳᵉ ᵗʰᵉ ᶜᵒˡᵈ ⁽ᔆᵖᵒⁿᵍᵉᴮᵒᵇ ʷⁱⁿᵗᵉʳ ᶠᵃⁿᶠⁱᶜ⁾ pt. 1 ᴾˡᵃⁿᵏᵗᵒⁿ ʷᵃˢ ⁿᵉᵃʳ ᵗʰᵉ ⁱᶜᵉᵈ ᵒᵛᵉʳ ᵖᵒⁿᵈ ʷᵃᵗᵉʳ ʷʰᵉⁿ ⁱᵗ ʰᵃᵖᵖᵉⁿᵉᵈ‧ ᔆᵖᵒⁿᵍᵉᴮᵒᵇ ʷᵃˢ ˢᵏᵃᵗⁱⁿᵍ ʷʰᵉⁿ ᵗʰᵉ ᶠʳᵒᶻᵉⁿ ᵍʳᵒᵘⁿᵈ ᶜʳᵃᶜᵏᵉᵈ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵒᵖᵉⁿᵉᵈ‧ ˢᵖᵒⁿᵍᵉᵇᵒᵇ ᵗʳⁱᵉᵈ ᵗᵒ ᵍʳᵃᵇ ᵗʰᵉ ˢⁿᵒʷʸ ⁱᶜᵉ ᵗᵒ ᵖᵘˡˡ ʰⁱᵐˢᵉˡᶠ ᵒᵘᵗ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉ ᶠʳᵉᵉᶻⁱⁿᵍ ʷᵃᵗᵉʳ ⁱⁿ ᵛᵃⁱⁿ⸴ ᵃˢ ⁱᵗ ᵏᵉᵖᵗ ᵍⁱᵛⁱⁿᵍ ʷᵃʸ‧ "ᴴᵉˡᵖ!" ᴾˡᵃⁿᵏᵗᵒⁿ ᵏⁿᵉʷ ʰᵉ ᶜᵒᵘˡᵈ ᵉᵃˢⁱˡʸ ᵇᵉ ᵒᵛᵉʳʷʰᵉˡᵐᵉᵈ ᶠᵃˢᵗᵉʳ ᵗʰᵃⁿ ᔆᵖᵒⁿᵍᵉᵇᵒᵇ ⁱᶠ ʰᵉ ᶠᵉˡˡ ⁱⁿ⸴ ⁿᵒᵗ ᵗᵒ ᵐᵉⁿᵗⁱᵒⁿ ʰⁱˢ ᵇᵘˢⁱⁿᵉˢˢ ʳⁱᵛᵃˡ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵐᵒʳᵗᵃˡ ᵉⁿᵉᵐʸ ᴷʳᵃᵇˢ ˡᵒˢⁱⁿᵍ‧‧‧ ᔆᵖᵒⁿᵍᵉᵇᵒᵇ'ˢ ᵇᵃʳᵉˡʸ ʰᵉᵃᵈ ᵃᵇᵒᵛᵉ ᵗʰᵉ ʷᵃᵗᵉʳ‧ ᴳʳᵃᵇᵇⁱⁿᵍ ᵃ ᵇⁱᵍ ᵗʳᵉᵉ ᵇʳᵃⁿᶜʰ⸴ ᴾˡᵃⁿᵏᵗᵒⁿ ʰᵉˡᵈ ⁱᵗ ᵒᵘᵗ ᵗᵒ ˡᵉᵗ ʰⁱᵐ ᵍʳᵃᵇ‧ ᴵᵗ ᵗᵒᵒᵏ ᵃˡˡ ʰⁱˢ ᵇᵒᵈʸ ˢᵗʳᵉⁿᵍᵗʰ ᵗᵒ ⁿᵒᵗ ᵍᵉᵗ ᵈʳᵃᵍᵍᵉᵈ ⁱⁿ ʰⁱᵐˢᵉˡᶠ! ᴵᶜᵉ ˢᵗⁱˡˡ ᶜʳᵃᶜᵏⁱⁿᵍ⸴ ˢᵖᵒⁿᵍᵉᵇᵒᵇ ʰᵒⁱˢᵗᵉᵈ ʰⁱᵐˢᵉˡᶠ ʷⁱᵗʰ ᵗʰᵉ ᵇʳᵃⁿᶜʰ ᵒᵘᵗ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉ ʷᵃᵗᵉʳ‧ ᔆᵘᵈᵈᵉⁿˡʸ⸴ ᵗʰᵉʸ ᵇᵒᵗʰ ʷᵉʳᵉ ᶠˡᵒᵃᵗⁱⁿᵍ ᵒⁿ ᵗʰᵉ ˢⁱⁿᵍˡᵉ ˢʰᵉᵉᵗ ᵒᶠ ⁱᶜᵉ‧ ᵁˢⁱⁿᵍ ᵗʰᵉ ᵇʳᵃⁿᶜʰ ᵗᵒ ᵖᵃᵈᵈˡᵉ⸴ ᴾˡᵃⁿᵏᵗᵒⁿ ⁿᵉᵃʳˡʸ ˢˡⁱᵖᵖᵉᵈ ⁱⁿ ʰⁱᵐˢᵉˡᶠ ʷʰᵉⁿ ˢᵖᵒⁿᵍᵉᵇᵒᵇ ˢᵗⁱˡˡ ˢʰⁱᵛᵉʳⁱⁿᵍ ʸᵃⁿᵏᵉᵈ ᴾˡᵃⁿᵏᵗᵒⁿ ᵒᵘᵗ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉ ⁱᶜᵉ ᶜᵒˡᵈ ʷᵃᵗᵉʳˢ‧ ᵂᵉᵗ ᵃⁿᵈ ᶜᵒˡᵈ⸴ ˢᵖᵒⁿᵍᵉᵇᵒᵇ ᶜᵃʳᵉᶠᵘˡˡʸ ᵍᵒᵗ ᵇᵃᶜᵏ ᵒⁿ ˢᵒˡⁱᵈ ˡᵃⁿᵈ ᶜᵃʳʳʸⁱⁿᵍ ᴾˡᵃⁿᵏᵗᵒⁿ ᵗᵒ ᵗʰᵉ ᶜʰᵘᵐ ᵇᵘᶜᵏᵉᵗ‧‧‧ "ᴷᵃʳᵉⁿ‧‧‧" ᔆᵖᵒⁿᵍᵉᵇᵒᵇ ʳᵘˢʰᵉᵈ ⁱⁿ⸴ ʰʸᵖᵉʳᵛᵉⁿᵗⁱˡᵃᵗⁱⁿᵍ‧ ᔆᵖᵒᵗ ᵗʰᵉ ᵖᵉᵗ ᵒᶠ ᴾˡᵃⁿᵏᵗᵒⁿ ʳᵃⁿ ᵗᵒ ˢᵉᵉ‧ "ᵂᵉ ⁿᵉᵉᵈ ʷᵃʳᵐᵗʰ⸴ ᴺᴼᵂ!" ᴴᵉ ᵗᵒˡᵈ ᵗʰᵉ ᶜᵒᵐᵖᵘᵗᵉʳ ʷⁱᶠᵉ ᵒᶠ ᴾˡᵃⁿᵏᵗᵒⁿ ᵉᵛᵉʳʸᵗʰⁱⁿᵍ ʷʰⁱˡˢᵗ ˢʰᵃᵏⁱⁿᵍ ᶠʳᵒᵐ ᵗʰᵉ ᵒʳᵈᵉᵃˡ‧ "ᴵ'ˡˡ ʷᵃʳᵐ ʸᵒᵘ ᵘᵖ ʷⁱᵗʰ ᵇˡᵃⁿᵏᵉᵗ ᶠʳᵒᵐ ᵒᵘᵗ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉ ᵈʳʸᵉʳ‧" ˢʰᵉ ʰᵘʳʳⁱᵉᵈ ᵃˢ ᔆᵖᵒᵗ ˡⁱᶜᵏᵉᵈ ᵗᵒ ᵍⁱᵛᵉ ᵏⁱˢˢᵉˢ ᵃⁿᵈ ʰⁱˢ ᵗᵒⁿᵍᵘᵉ‧ ᴱⁱᵗʰᵉʳ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉᵐ ᶜᵒᵘˡᵈ'ᵛᵉ ᵉᵃˢⁱˡʸ ᵃᵇᵃⁿᵈᵒⁿᵉᵈ ᵗʰᵉ ᵒᵗʰᵉʳ ᵗᵒ ˢᵃᵛᵉ ᵗʰᵉᵐˢᵉˡᵛᵉˢ‧ ᴾˡᵃⁿᵏᵗᵒⁿ ʷᵃˢ ⁱⁿ ⁿᵒ ᵈᵃⁿᵍᵉʳ ʰⁱᵐˢᵉˡᶠ ᵗᵒ ᵇᵉᵍⁱⁿ ʷⁱᵗʰ⸴ ᵇᵘᵗ ˢᵖᵒⁿᵍᵉᵇᵒᵇ ᵃˡˢᵒ ᶜᵒᵘˡᵈ ʰᵃᵛᵉ ʲᵘˢᵗ ᵐᵃᵈᵉ ᵃ ʳᵘⁿ ᶠᵒʳ ⁱᵗ ᵒᵘᵗ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉ ᶜᵒˡᵈ ʷʰᵉⁿ ᴾˡᵃⁿᵏᵗᵒⁿ ˢˡⁱᵖᵖᵉᵈ ⁱⁿ ᵗʰᵉ ˡᵃᵏᵉ‧ "ᵀʰᵃⁿᵏˢ⸴ ᴾˡᵃⁿᵏᵗᵒⁿ‧‧‧" ᔆᵖᵒⁿᵍᵉᵇᵒᵇ ˢᵃⁱᵈ‧ ᴾˡᵃⁿᵏᵗᵒⁿ ˡᵒᵒᵏᵉᵈ ᵃᵗ ʰⁱᵐ ˢᵗⁱˡˡ ˢʰⁱᵛᵉʳⁱⁿᵍ‧ "ᵂʰᵃᵗ?" "ʸᵒᵘ ˡⁱᵗᵉʳᵃˡˡʸ ˢᵃᶜʳⁱᶠⁱᶜᵉᵈ ʸᵒᵘʳ ˡⁱᶠᵉ ʳⁱˢᵏⁱⁿᵍ ᵗᵒ ˢᵃᵛᵉ ᵐᵉ⸴ ʷʰᵉⁿ ʸᵒᵘ'ʳᵉ ˢᵃᶠᵉ ᵘᵖ ᵃʷᵃʸ ᶠʳᵒᵐ ᵗʰᵉ ˢˡᵉᵉᵗ⸴ ᴾˡᵃⁿᵏᵗᵒⁿ; ʸᵒᵘ ᵏⁿᵒʷ ᴵ ᶜᵒᵘˡᵈ'ᵛᵉ ᵖᵘˡˡᵉᵈ ᵘˢ ᵘⁿᵈᵉʳ ʷᵃᵗᵉʳ‧‧‧" ᴷᵃʳᵉⁿ ᶠˡᵘᶠᶠᵉᵈ ᵖⁱˡˡᵒʷˢ‧ "ʸᵒᵘ ᶜᵃⁿ ˢᵗᵃʸ ʰᵉʳᵉ ⁱⁿˢⁱᵈᵉ ʰᵉʳᵉ ʷⁱᵗʰ ᵘˢ ᵒᵛᵉʳ ⁿⁱᵍʰᵗ⸴ ˢᵒ ᵃˢ ⁿᵒᵗ ᵗᵒ ᵍᵉᵗ ᵒᵘᵗᵈᵒᵒʳˢ ᵉˣᵖᵒˢᵘʳᵉ‧‧‧" ᴷᵃʳᵉⁿ ˢᵃⁱᵈ‧ ᴾˡᵃⁿᵏᵗᵒⁿ'ˢ ˢᵐᵃˡˡ ˢⁱᶻᵉ ˢᵒ ʰᵉ'ᵈ ᵗᵃᵏᵉ ˡᵒⁿᵍᵉʳ ᵗᵒ ʳᵉᶜᵒᵛᵉʳ ᶠʳᵒᵐ ᵗʰᵉ ⁱⁿᶜⁱᵈᵉⁿᵗ‧ ᵀʰᵉʸ ᵇᵒᵗʰ ʰᵃᵈ ˢᵖᵒᵗ ˢⁿᵘᵍᵍˡᵉ ⁱⁿ ᵗʰᵉ ᵐⁱᵈᵈˡᵉ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉ ᵗʷᵒ‧ ᔆᵖᵒⁿᵍᵉᵇᵒᵇ ʰᵒᵖᵉᵈ ʰᵉ'ᵈ ᵇᵉ ᶠⁱᵗ ᵗᵒ ᵃᵗᵗᵉⁿᵈ ʷᵒʳᵏ ᵗʰᵉ ⁿᵉˣᵗ ᵈᵃʸ⸴ ᵈᵉˢᵖⁱᵗᵉ ᵗʰᵉ ᶜⁱʳᶜᵘᵐˢᵗᵃⁿᶜᵉˢ‧‧‧ ᴬˡᵗʰᵒᵘᵍʰ ˢᵖᵒⁿᵍᵉᵇᵒᵇ ᶜᵒᵘˡᵈ ˢⁿᵉᵃᵏ ᵗᵒ ʷᵒʳᵏ ᵘⁿⁿᵒᵗⁱᶜᵉᵈ ᵇʸ ᴾˡᵃⁿᵏᵗᵒⁿ ⁱⁿ ᵗʰᵉ ᵐᵒʳⁿⁱⁿᵍ⸴ ʰᵉ ᵈᵉᶜⁱᵈᵉᵈ ᵗᵒ ˢᵗᵃʸ‧ "ᴴᵉ'ˢ ˢᵗⁱˡˡ ˢᵉᵉᵐˢ ˢʰᵃᵏʸ ᵃˢ ʰᵉ'ˢ ˢᵗⁱˡˡ ˢʰⁱᵛᵉʳⁱⁿᵍ⸴ ᴷᵃʳᵉⁿ; ᴵ ᶜᵃⁿ ᵗᵃᵏᵉ ᵒᶠᶠ ʷᵒʳᵏ ᵘⁿᵗⁱˡ ʰᵉ'ˢ ᵐᵒʳᵉ ˢᵗᵃᵇˡᵉ‧‧‧" ᴷᵃʳᵉⁿ ⁿᵒᵈᵈᵉᵈ ⁱⁿ ᵃᵍʳᵉᵉᵐᵉⁿᵗ⸴ ᶠⁱˣⁱⁿᵍ ᵘᵖ ˢᵒᵐᵉ ᵒᵃᵗᵐᵉᵃˡ‧ "ʸᵒᵘ ˢˡᵉᵉᵖ ʷᵉˡˡ?" ᴷᵃʳᵉⁿ ᵃˢᵏᵉᵈ ˢᵖᵒⁿᵍᵉᵇᵒᵇ‧ "ᴬˢ ᵉˣᵖᵉᶜᵗᵉᵈ‧‧‧" ᴷᵃʳᵉⁿ ᵖᵘᵗ ᵗʰᵉ ʷᵃʳᵐ ᵒᵃᵗ ᵐᵉᵃˡ ⁱⁿ ᵇᵒʷˡˢ ᶠᵒʳ ᵗʰᵉᵐ‧ "ᴾˡᵃⁿᵏᵗᵒⁿ⸴ ˡᵒᵒᵏ; ᵍᵉᵗ ᵘᵖ ᶠᵒʳ ᵇʳᵉᵃᵏᶠᵃˢᵗ‽" ᴾˡᵃⁿᵏᵗᵒⁿ ʷᵉᵃʳⁱˡʸ ˢᵃᵗ ˢᵗʳᵃⁱᵍʰᵗ ʷⁱᵗʰ ᵍᵉᵗᵗⁱⁿᵍ ᵗʰᵉ ᵒᵃᵗᵐᵉᵃˡ ᵇᵉᶠᵒʳᵉ ʰⁱᵐ‧ "ᴵ'ˡˡ ⁿᵒᵗⁱᶠʸ ᴹʳ‧ ᴷʳᵃᵇˢ‧‧‧" "ᔆᵖᵒⁿᵍᵉᵇᵒᵇ⸴ ʸᵒᵘ ᶜᵃⁿ ᵍᵒ ⁱᶠ ᶠᵉᵉˡⁱⁿᵍ ᵘᵖ ᵗᵒ ⁱᵗ‧‧‧" ᴷᵃʳᵉⁿ ᵗᵒˡᵈ ʰⁱᵐ‧ "ᵂʰᵃᵗ'ˢ ᵍᵒⁱⁿᵍ ᵒⁿ?" "ᵀᵒ ᵐʸ ʷᵒʳᵏ⸴ ᴾˡᵃⁿᵏᵗᵒⁿ; ᴷᵃʳᵉⁿ ˢᵃʸˢ ᴵ ᶜᵃⁿ ᵍᵒ⸴ ᵇᵘᵗ ᴵ ʷᵃⁿⁿᵃ ᵇᵉ ʰᵉʳᵉ ᶠᵒʳ ʸᵒᵘ‧‧‧" ᔆᵖᵒⁿᵍᵉᵇᵒᵇ ᵗᵒˡᵈ ʰⁱᵐ‧ pt. 1 to be cont. Pt. 2