Cantu: Cedar Park cancer survivor inspires by creating foundation to help others
CEDAR PARK — Lance White had an important decision to make when Make-A-Wish approached him in 2016.
Make-A-Wish has granted hundreds of thousands of wishes since the movement originated in 1980. So, what would young Lance like to have? A trip around the world? Backstage passes to see George Strait? Perhaps tickets to a Longhorns game?
This is the part of the story that shows how a young man gave away a chance of a lifetime for the benefit of others. White was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in September 2014, a month shy of his 14th birthday. The next phase of his life was a challenging journey through debilitating illness, chemotherapy, two surgeries and blood transfusions.
It was a battle that saw his weight dwindle from 115 pounds to 78. His immune system became so weak, he missed his entire eighth grade year and most of ninth grade.
White took advantage of the Make-A-Wish offer. But instead of doing something fun that his whole family might enjoy, he chose a different route. He elected to start his own foundation that would benefit children dealing with a similar life-threatening diagnosis. Make-A-Wish gave him $5,000 and helped him create the foundation. Lance would call it Lift Brigade.
During that span, Lift Brigade has accepted "north of $160,000" in donations, said Steve White, Lance's father.
Giving back, giving to others
For the last seven years, White has taken pride in his decision to help others. A 2019 Cedar Park High graduate, he was on hand during a special pregame ceremony last Thursday before a game against Round Rock at Gupton Stadium. Hundreds of fans were wearing "Gold Out" T-shirts and gold ribbons to recognize childhood cancer. Cedar Park cheerleaders have donated $12,000 to the fund through T-shirt sales, cheer coach Nadira King said.
"I taught Lance White when he was a junior, and we really connected as I watched him endure so much physically and emotionally," King said. "Involving my cheerleaders in various charities and volunteer work has always been significant to me."
Before he knew anything about leukemia, White was a vibrant student in middle school who loved to play football and baseball. A bit undersized, he figured his best long-term goal was to someday play professional baseball, but he also had his heart set on playing for the Timberwolves' football team.
More: Player of the week honor goes to Connally running back
Steve White recalls thinking his son had a stomach virus when he got sick during the eighth grade.
"I became very sick, very suddenly," Lance recalled. "My parents took me to an urgent care facility trying to find out what was wrong. After visiting with the doctor, I was told to leave and head to the hospital immediately. At the ER I was told that something was wrong. I was transferred by ambulance to Dell Children's in Austin. The next morning I was told I had cancer."
That was White's rock-bottom moment. He figured he would never play competitive sports again. He said his kidneys and lymph nodes were "full of cancer cells. They were afraid the lymph nodes in my neck were going to collapse on my throat and suffocate me."
A growing Timberwolves tradition
When former Cedar Park football coach Joe Willis learned about White's diagnosis, he made him an honorary member of the football team. Subsequent coaches Carl Abseck and Michael Quintero have made sure that White's relationship with the football team has remained intact.
More: Statesman polls laud Westlake, Liberty Hill, Wimberley
And now the entire school is a part of White's story.
Over the past eight years, the Cedar Park cheer program has been able to donate $12,000 to Lift Brigade from the shirt sales. Each year, the stands are filled with yellow and gold, and the football team runs through the yellow-colored "gold out" sign painted by the cheerleaders.
Plans for the future
The story does have a happy ending. White is a student at Austin Community College and has a job at H-E-B. His weight has grown to 132 pounds. More importantly, he's cancer-free.
He still has some issues with peripheral neuropathy and osteoporosis and he still has not reacquired his appetite. He said doctors have told him that the effects of his three-and-a-half years of chemotherapy might stay with him his entire life.
Nevertheless, Lance said he is inspired by his foundation that continues to grow.
"I'm absolutely astounded of where (the foundation) is," he said. "I want to get more so I can give more. I'd love to expand to other states, other countries around the globe. I'm thankful Make-A-Wish made my dream a reality and I've been able to carry it to where I am today."
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Now cancer free, former Cedar Park student helps children with cancer
