College Basketball Player Lauren Hill, 19, Dies From Brain Cancer
College basketball player Lauren Hill, who took the court and moved a nation while battling brain cancer, has passed away at the age of 19.
Hill, who was a freshman for the Division III Mount Saint Joseph (Ohio) women’s basketball team, became a national sensation as she valiantly fought the disease. She suited up and played in a game back in November after the NCAA allowed her team to move its game up out of fear she would pass away before getting a chance to play in a game.
Hill was diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma after she turned 18 and soon became an unofficial spokeswoman:
When I was diagnosed I remember kind of feeling lonely because nobody understood. And now that more people know about this story and the awareness of DIPG. I'm so happy that people know about it now and that we can get some research going and hopefully find that home run cure for cancer. And even though I'm probably not going to be around to see it, it's going to help a lot of people. And that's why we need to keep staying with this and not end it with this game, and keep supporting research."
She helped launch a foundation, which has brought in more than $1.5 million to date.
Hill's death and the bravery she showed brought out swift reaction from all sorts of people throughout the sports world: