Lauren Hill's team holds end-of-season banquet at hospital
Lauren Hill couldn't make it to her team's end-of-the-year banquet, so her Mount Saint Joseph teammates came up with a better idea: they brought the banquet to her. The team celebrated in a private room at the hospital where Hill is being treated.
Hill is battling inoperable brain cancer. The team has made sure she's been included throughout the season, first by playing the season opener early, on Nov. 2, to make sure that she had a chance to realize her dream of playing college basketball.
Doctors had feared that her symptoms would be too severe by the regular start of the NCAA season, but Hill beat the odds longer than expected. Showing immense courage, she was able to play in three more games this season, including a home game in December. She entered hospice later that month, but continues to fight.
During the Feb. 24 event, Hill signed all of her teammates' jerseys and spoke with local news station WKRC.
"Day by day, I hope my message has resided through everyone — that just even more that it's precious every amount of time you get with someone, no material item matters," she said. "Every moment you get with someone is a moment that [is] blessed, really blessed."
Throughout her illness, Hill has helped raise more than $1 million for pediatric cancer research.
Her high school also surprised her by retiring her jersey in late November, the Ohio governor recently announced that she is one of the recipients of this year's Governor's Courage Award, Wheaties featured her on a box, and in early March she will receive the 2014 Spirit of Cincinnati USA Ambassador Award, accolades that she has absolutely earned as she's inspired the nation over the past few months.
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Danielle Elliot is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact her at delliot@yahoo-inc.com or find her on Twitter.
