In December 2014, LifeNews reported that Lauren Hill, the freshman at Mt. Joseph College with terminal cancer, entered hospice care. Hill has a very deadly form of brain cancer known as Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), which is a pediatric cancer found at the base of the brain. Unfortunately, less than 10% of DIPG children will live longer than 18 months from diagnosis. Doctors told Hill that she wouldn’t live to see 2015; however, she is still alive and battling the disease.
Lauren became a worldwide superstar last fall after she participated in a college basketball game despite her deteriorating health. She attended the Division III college basketball games and played in four of their first eight games, making five layups while on court. After the game, Lauren’s family said, “She stepped onto the court one last time in her college career and again fought the odds and made a basket that brought everyone in the gym to their feet.”
According to MSN News, Lauren has raised over $1.5 million for cancer research and her family has recently announced they’ve set a new goal to raise $2.2 million.
In March, Lauren appeared on the ABC talk show, The View alongside her mother, Lisa, to raise money for The Cure Starts Now Foundation. Lauren said, “It’s kind of hard to just focus on you and not on others. I just kept thinking about all of these other kids who have nothing else to do and their families being told that they have nothing else… and I have to be that voice.”
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On Facebook, Lisa updated followers of her daughter’s condition.
She said, “Lauren sleeps about 12 hours a day and still does not like to take naps. Her appetite is not as big as it use to be. She has been having increased issues with swallowing. We had to add some thickener to her water to make it easier to swallow. Food we cut down into bite sizes these days to prevent chocking. Lauren had her pain pump increased again to help with pesty headaches and body aches. She still has a sense of humor even if her legs give out and she falls. My favorite quote of the week…. “I didn’t fall, I gracefully assaulted the floor.”
Currently, The Cure Starts Now Foundation is promoting a new campaign in Lauren’s honor called “Club 22.” The “22” comes from Lauren’s basketball jersey number. Watch Lauren on The View in the video below.
