“YOU NEVER KNOW HOW STRONG YOU ARE....

UNTIL BEING STRONG IS THE ONLY CHOICE YOU HAVE.”

-CAYLA MILLSCadet Courier Special Edition--Cancer

Page 1 Cadet Courier Special Edition--Cancer April 26, 2019

The Make-A-Wish Foun-dation is a 501 non-profit organization founded in the United States that arrang-es experiences described as “wishes” to children diag-nosed with critical illnesses.

The organization was founded in 1980 in Phoenix, Arizona and grants a wish every 34 minutes. A wish can be anything from want-ing a puppy to visiting Dis-ney World. The foundation

Over the course of a weekend, six year old Ben Vander Griend went from competing in a wrestling tournament to not being able to walk. Alarmed, his parents Harlyn and Terri Vander Griend took him to the hospital to discover the cause of his discomfort. The doctors informed them that Ben’s blood levels were a little off, but they would keep an eye on it.

When Ben’s ankle worsened, his family wanted an-swers. They were told he had an infection on the growth plate of his ankle; surgery was performed to remove the infection. After surgery, Ben was still running fevers and was in and out of the hospital for six long weeks. The doc-tors still had no answers.

After considering rheumatoide arthritis, macrophage activation syndrome, and an infection found in peanut butter, the doctors finally generated a diagnosis. At the age of six, Ben Vander Griend was diagnosed with stage three non-hodgkin’s lymphoma. Symptoms of the disease in-cluded night sweats, fevers and rashy hands.

The first six weeks of treatment were intense. Right away, Ben was subjected to spinal taps, where the doctors put medicine directly into his spine. He also had chemo-therapy treatments once a week for six weeks and then was rotated to a three-week cycle. He also had to take steroids.

Although treatments were hard, Ben did not feel like his life was that bad. When at the hospital, he was sur-rounded by other kids his age, and even younger, who had cancer too. Also, while he got treatments, he was able to play video games and Legos. At the hospital, Ben felt like

VANDER GRIEND’S STORYVANDER GRIEND’S STORY

grants the patient’s wishes in hopes to give them emo-tional and physical strength to help them fight their diagnosis

A person can contrib-ute to this foundation by donating money, holding fundraisers, or being a national sponsor. People can also volunteer to meet families at airports, deliv-er gifts, and help children come up with their wish.

When Ben Vander Griend was in second grade, he was granted his wish. He and his family traveled to Seattle, Washington and met Tony Hawk, a famous skateboarder.

Vander Griend stated, “After all the suffering I went through, it was nice to spend time with my family and have this experience. I think the Make-A-Wish foundation is a very cool thing and a great program.”

he fit in, and he was able to play with the other kids.

Going through cancer was extreme-ly hard for Ben, and it was emotionally draining for the rest of his family. Howev-er, the family received support from their family, their faith, and the community. People helped cleaned the Vander Griend’s house and mowed the lawn. Terri said she was also “very thank-ful for the oncologist he [Ben] had.”

After a year, Ben was declared cancer-free. However, his relationship with cancer was not over. Every year, he has to go to the on-cologist for blood tests, . Also, because of the potential damage the radiation treatments could have on his heart, he is supposed to avoid energy drinks and other things that could increase his blood pressure. His chance of getting other types of cancer is slightly higher than the av-erage person, so he must avoid common risk factors like excessive sun, alcohol, and smoking.

Ben’s five-years out of treatment was a big milestone for him. Within five years, many people relapse. However, Ben did not. He recently reached 10 years out of treat-ment, which was an even bigger milestone.

Ben has not let the challenges he faced as a child hold him back from living his life. He lives every day to the fullest, and he has been extremely successful thus far in life. He is in the top 10% of his class, and he has commit-ted to play football at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa.

“Childhood cancer is the hardest thing I’ve ever gone through,” Ben said. “But it gave me a whole new perspec-tive about life. I take advantage of every opportunity I am given, and I find happiness in the small things in life.”

Facing the Beast: Ben’s Battle against CancerCancer is an unfortunate fact of life. Every year, over 1.5 million people are diagnosed with some form of the disease, and nearly a third as many will die from it.

Cancer doesn’t care how much money is in your bank account. Cancer doesn’t care how many friends you have. Cancer doesn’t care whether you are a devout Christian, a successful entrepreneur, or a nurturing parent. Cancer can and will strike indiscriminately. The battle is fought daily by people from all walks of life.

Billions of dollars are poured into fighting this disease every year, and scientists on the front line of that fight are always developing new drugs and therapies to combat this killer and push the field of med-icine into the future. Hundreds of thousands of people have been saved by modern medical advances. Millions more have died without them.

Cancer affects everyone. We all have seen someone devastated by the havoc that cancer wrecks on the lives of our neighbors, friends, and loved ones. This special edition of the Cadet Courier would like to offer our readers a look into the lives of five people whose lives were forever changed as a result of their battle with cancer. The content of this issue may be depressing to some, uplifting to others- what’s import-ant to remember is that all of these people are people- with families, friends, passions, and memories.

Our hearts go out to the families and communities that have been affected by this disease, and we look forward, as so many do each and every day, to the day when cancer is cured. We want to thank all of the people featured in this edition for their cooperation in our effort to share their stories and bring attention to the humanity that cancer is so determined to destroy.

The Cadet Courier StaffThe Cadet Courier Staff

April 26, 2019 Cadet Courier Special Edition--Cancer Page 2

In Cathy Schultz’s battle against cancer, the community and school rallied to join in her efforts to “Defeat the Beast.”

With several rounds of fundraising ranging from student-staff softball games, to home-coming proceeds, to taco boat night at the high school, Cathy felt the love and support from the community in her struggle against ovarian cancer. When she received her last check to the tune of 780 dollars and “All You Need is Love” by the Beatle’s (one of Schultz’s favorite bands), she delivered an inspirational message through tears to the crowd of that January night’s basketball game. “Be kind. Al-ways be kind.”

Schultz’s cancer battle began as so many others do: she originally thought nothing of the symptoms. “I was tired and I couldn’t eat. I just thought it was gas pains, or maybe I needed to improve my diet,” Schultz said in an interview. After the pains became too much, she went to see her doctor May 3, 2018 to see what was causing her so much discomfort.

The doctor’s originally tested her for diver-ticulitis and appendicitis, but findings from her first MRI exam were inconclusive. Her doctor gave her a prescription for Linzess to help her deal with the pain.

“Within two weeks, I couldn’t breathe. I called and said I had to get off the Linzess, it just wasn’t right. We finally got approved through insurance for a CAT scan after that.” Upon further testing, CAT scans revealed several tumors. “I lit up like a Christmas tree,” Schultz said. She was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer. “My husband and I drove back, and I immediately gave it to God.”

Doctors tried to operate on the tumor, but during the surgery they realized they could not remove the tumor without first reducing its size. They put Schultz onto chemotherapy to combat the tumor until it could be safely oper-

SCHULTZ’S STORYSCHULTZ’S STORYFUNDRAISINGFUNDRAISINGWest Point-Beemer High School has

done many fundraisers to help those affected by cancer. Through its efforts, the school has raised over $10,000 with the help of staff and students.

Holiday helpers, this year, raised money for Jeff Konkelseki, athletic director. Holiday helpers happens the week before Christmas break where teachers bring in food and drinks to their classrooms. Students are able to buy these items for a dollar, and that money that is donated.

A taco boat sale was also held at one of the school’s wrestling tournaments. All of the proceeds were donated to Cathy Schultz to help her with her can-cer battle.

Another fundraiser was during the school’s homecoming week. Students could buy homecoming week t-shirts and a football player’s jersey. This mon-ey was also donated to Cathy Schultz.

Another effort was when Ms. Rood’s life skills class made lunches that staff members purchased. The class did this multiple times and donated the money each time to different cancer victims: Adam Skoda, Jeff Konkeleski, Cathy Schultz, and Cindy Sellhorst.

Facing the Beast: Cathy’s Battle against Cancer

ated on. When they first put Schultz onto the chemo regimen, they gave her a tumor marker reading of 950- the average person (i.e., some-body without cancer) has readings that hover around 35.

The period between surgeries was rough on Schultz. On her first day back from the hospital, her incision from the surgery burst after she had taken her first round of chemo. She was put on a wound vac, unable to eat or drink for two weeks. “I have no recollection of this, that’s how sick I was.”

Schultz was scheduled for three chemos, a CAT scan, and then three more chemos, with doctors testing for tumor markers after each round. The first round of therapy brought the test readings to 300, a 650 point reduction from the previous round. Schultz was excited by the progress, she said. “We had so much energy.”

But as the therapies continued, the effects of the drugs began to dampen. By the third round, her markers had actually increased. “My oncologist just shook his head and said, ‘Cathy, you don’t feel good do you?’ And all I could do was tell him no.”

“There were some dark, dark times there. It was the uncertainty of what’s going to hap-pen, and family- but faith. I had to tell myself that God is here.” Schult’z faith helped her battle the disease.

“One of last year’s seniors stopped by to visit me one afternoon, and he just said that God had told him to come and see me. We had an amazing visit,” she stated.

Schultz said that her visitors were God’s way of showing his presence in her life. “He is here, and he shows me all kinds of signs.” Schultz recounted several signs that she saw that God was with her, including a heart shaped crack in a sidewalk.

“I was happy to see them, and we talked

about just everyday stuff. I don’t like to do the weepy crying, it doesn’t help me.”

Schultz believes that God is the main reason she is still here today. “There were a lot of things, my doctors, the medicine, the school, my family, my faith, my husband. But the main reason is God; he still wants me here.”

“I’ve gotten to this point now, what do you want me to do?” Schultz recalled asking in prayer one night. “And I’ve signed a con-tract for next year.”

Going forward, Schultz will always have stage 4 ovarian cancer, but thanks to medical advances in drugs, it will likely remain non-life threatening. “It’s livable. There are peo-ple who live for 15-20 years with this. And I’m shooting for 20.”

Schultz will be on a PARP inhibitor for the rest of her life, a drug that helps prevent tumors from developing and returning. In clinical studies, the drugs proved to be 70% effective. “Doctors have said that ovarian cancer will be completely livable within our lifetime,” Schultz said.

“I’m mentally ready to come back,” Schul-tz continued, “but physically, my body is go-ing to have to do some catching up.” Schultz plans to walk to gain the strength she needs to teach next fall. “I was walking a mile, but now it’s like I’ve been sit-ting in a chair for almost a year. So this summer I’m going to down-load some Rocky music and just keep on going.”

Page 3 Cadet Courier Special Edition--Cancer April 26, 2019

When you think of a superhero, you probably imagine Superman, Spider-man or Batman. But band director, Cindy Sellhorst, sees a regular man. This man doesn’t possess the power to fly or travel through time, but he did save a life, and he did this through bethematch.org. Bethematch.org is an international database of people willing to donate mar-row to those in need of a transplant. Run by the National Marrow Donor Program, bethematch.org holds the biggest registry for bone marrow donors in the world. Most people sit back with sadness

and watch their loved ones suffer through cancer, feeling useless and like they’re unable to do anything. However, bethe-match.org offers an opportunity for them to take action through donation. Many people don’t have eligible donors in their families, so bethematch.org becomes a light at the end of the tunnel. For Sellhorst, she found hope in a man across the world. She received a donation from a man in Poland. We encourage all to join the regis-try in order to help others. The sad part is, there is some criteria you need to meet in order to register. The first is your age. You need to be at least 18 years old to sign up, and under 60 years old. For the most

part, it is completely free to sign up for the registry. However, those who are older than 45 are asked to cover their own cost of registry, which is 100 dollars. Next, you must live in the country where the center for donation is. In our case, you must live in the U.S. to sign up for the American website of bethematch.org. Also, you must meet specific health guidelines that are detailed more specifi-cally when you sign up. Lastly, the bethematch.org website says you need “to be willing to donate to any patient in need.” By signing up, you can’t choose who or when you want to help; you must help whoever needs a transplant.

All that being said, the Cadet Courier staff would like to introduce a challenge. We propose a friendly competi-tion between teachers/staff and students. The group with the most registries wins. Though we understand there are only a few students over the age of 18, any dona-tions are greatly appreciated. If you sign up for bethematch.org, send proof via email to kmahannah@wpcadets.net. If it weren’t for bethematch.org, Sellhorst would not be teaching today. To honor her, and so many others, signing up for the registry is the least we can do. Fifteen minutes of our lives could become fifty years of someone else’s.

Over the last couple of years, West Point-Beemer High School’s band has blossomed into something completely new, and many students attribute their talent to Cindy Sellhorst, WPBHS band director. However, none of the current high school band members have had Sellhorst for the entirety of their music careers. This is because during the 2014-15 school year, Sellhorst was ill.

At the end of the 2014 school year, Sellhorst noticed frequent bruises on her body and was extremely fatigued. When Sellhorst went in for monthly labs in June 2014, she received devastating news. Her platelets dropped, and she was rushed to the emergency room, where she was diagnosed with leukemia.

Sellhorst was admitted to the University of Nebraska Medical Center and immediately began treatment. She was also informed that her best chance for survival was a bone marrow transplant.

Sellhorst’s return would have been almost impossible without the help of bet-hematch.org which is an international database of eligible bone marrow donors. Sellhorst said her donor who is from Poland and his wife signed up for Be the Match when their friend was diagnosed with cancer.

Sellhorst also explained how she believes her journey could help someone else, “My son and his friends signed up for Be the Match in college, and later a friend of his was called to be a donor.” Sellhorst expressed how she believes bet-hematch.org is a great organization and thinks everyone that can should sign up.

Although many people at WPBHS only know of Sellhorst’s cancer during her time at the school, her journey with the disease started long before.

In 1999, she was first diagnosed with thyroid cancer. She went to her doc-tor for a regular check-up when he noticed a bump on her neck. Fortunately, Sellhorst only needed half of her thyroid taken out, and she didn’t need any treatment.

Later in 2004, she went back to her doctor, and he saw a new lump, but this time on the other side of her neck. He removed this lump and the rest of her thyroid as he had the last one.

In 2005, she went through her third bout of cancer. She developed a thy-moma, which is a cancerous tumor behind her chest bone. For the thymoma, she had surgery to remove it. She also received radiation for six weeks to kill the cancer cells still behind her chest.

Until her fourth week of treatment in 2014, everything was going accord-ing to plan. Then, she suddenly ran a high fever, and she had trouble breath-ing. It was then that she was put into a medically induced coma for a month.

When she woke up in August, she stayed in the hospital for another two weeks and then was released and put into rehabilitation. In September, Sell-horst went to live with her sister, and said she finally “started to feel human again.”

On October 1, Sellhorst went back to the hospital for a round of chemo. For a week, she received chemotherapy to level out her numbers before her transplant. On October 10, she received the stem cell transplant.

After about 3 days, her cell numbers started to go back again. Sellhorst re-

SELLHORST’S STORYSELLHORST’S STORYmembers being let out of the hospital a couple days before Hallow-een. She went to live with her sister for 100 days after the transplant.

To be eligible for a transplant, the donor and the receiver must match criteria. Luckily for Sellhorst, she and her donor were 100%.

Sellhorst spent the next couple months resting and gaining the strength so she could go back to school. She returned March 23, 2015, almost nine months after her diagnosis, working half the day.

During her absence, Andrea Liekhus, a long-time friend of Sell-horst took over as a long time substitute in the band department.

Sellhorst remembers, “As I got stronger, my desire to regain my life back was my driving force. I wanted to resume teaching, and liv-ing independently, and doing all the things I loved to do.”

Five years into remission, Sellhorst still remains grateful for everyone who helped her. Through her experience, she learned not to take anything for granted and a great motto to live by, “A positive attitude can get you through the largest obstacles that life can throw at you.”

Facing the Beast: Cindy’s Battle against Cancer

LONG-TERM DISABILITY

April 26, 2019 Cadet Courier Special Edition--Cancer Page 4

Long-term disability (LTD) is an insur-ance policy that protects an employee from loss of income in the event that he or she is unable to work because of illness, injury, or accident for a long period of time. In order to qualify for LTD, one has to be absent from work for 30 calander days after all of the sick days have been used.

The Family Medical Leave Act requires schools to cover up to 12 weeks of insur-ance costs after going on LTD, but once the 12 weeks are up, families have to start using their own insurance.

Members (if able) can work up to 8 hours a week for up to 18 months and are still considered to be on LTD.

To determine pay, a general formula is used. LTD pay is equal to their current wage plus insurance, which is then multiplied by 66.23%.

A few teachers at West Poin-Beemer have gone on LTD over the last few years due to illnesses or maternity leave. Some of these teachers include Adam Skoda, Cynthia Sell-horst, Cathy Schultz, and Jeff Konkoleski.

Because not everyone has savings to sup-port them through hard times, LTD is bene-ficial when unexpected problems arise. Hav-ing an income when unable to work relieves some pressure on the journey to recovery.

Jeff Konkoleski, WPBHS athlet-ic director, first noticed symptoms in August, 2017. Konkoleski couldn’t eat and felt sick all the time. “At first the doctors thought it was gallstones, so they removed his gall bladder,” stated Brenda.

When the symptoms continued, he decided to meet with a doctor for further testing including a colonoscopy which indicated he had colorectal cancer.

In January 2018, Konkoleski was referred to a group in Omaha that specialized in colorectal cancer sur-gery. He had additional tests done, but he did not show the typical symp-

toms of colorectal cancer. However, the tests did show that

his cancer was stage 3 meaning it had grown into the walls of the colon, and it began to affect his lymph nodes.

The tumor needed to be removed, but it was too large so he began six weeks of chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

Treatments were Monday through Friday. Saturday and Sunday were his rest days. This initial treatment shrunk the tumor, and they planned to surgi-cally remove it.

In May, things were looking very good for Jeff, “Mr. K. has always been very optimistic” said Brenda, his wife.

Konkoleski stayed in the hospital longer than expected, but it was un-related. The doctors were concerned about a possible infection. He did not have an infection, but they saw some-thing on his liver that did not look right.

LONG-TERM DISABILITY

In early 2016, 80s pop-rock icon David Bowie died after a year and half long battle with liver cancer. Bowie had been a well-known addict and alcoholic throughout his time in the spotlight and had cirrho-sis prior to his cancer diagnosis.

But Bowie was only one among an estimated 42,000 adults to die of this horrific disease in 2016. With an 18% survival rating for 5 years, liver cancer proves fatal to 4 in 5 people within 5 years of diagnosis.

KONKOLESKI’S STORYKONKOLESKI’S STORYScans done in July found spots

on his liver, meaning it was stage 4 cancer which is incurable. His next treatment was two months of first line chemotherapy; it did not work as well as anticipated.

The tumor continued to grow. They went to Atlanta to get the spots on his liver removed, but they found that the cancer had spread to his spine, ribs, and pelvis.

He began taking an oral chemo-therapy pill which had a side effect of neuropathy. It caused him to lose the feeling in his hands and feet, and drinking cold liquids felt like an electric charge. The feeling has not returned to his feet.

He took the pill until January of this year. The treatments did not stop the cancer from spreading.

He went to the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas, and they referred him to a clinical trial which

Part of what makes liver cancer so devastating is the relatively late appear-ance of many of its symptoms. When symptoms do appear, they usually appear in the form of digestive issues, nausea, sudden weight loss and loss of appetite, among others, as per the Mayo Clinic.

Liver cancer develops in a similar manner to other cancers: a mutation in a cell leads to uncontrollable reproduction of cells, creating cancerous tissue as the tumor grows. While the “how” liver can-

cer develops is well known and researched, the “why” is much less understood. Many studies have illustrated links between heavy alcohol and drug consumption and liver cancer although the industries that produce these products have funded counter studies that failed to demonstrate a correlation.

One known cause of liver infection is chronic infection of certain hepatitis viruses. Other factors that can drastical-ly increase risk of liver cancer are prior cirrhosis, such as in the case of Bowie, or

other factors such as diabetes, inherited liver diseases, and exposure to moldy aflatoxins found growing on improp-erly stored crops. Because of this final factor, farmers are at a greater risk for liver cancer than the general pop-ulation, and liver cancer rates are 5% higher in rural communities than they are in urban settings.

If you experience any of the symp-toms listed for an extended period of time, please contact your doctor and arrange a cancer screening.

tests drugs that have not been FDA ap-proved.

The school and commu-nity have helped the Konkole-ski family greatly. The kids received extra Christ-mas gifts from teachers.

As of now, because of the large tumor growing on his hip, Konkoleski has to use a wheelchair at home be-cause he can’t’ walk.

Jeff has always said, “Cancer sucks, but I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”

The fight continues as Konkoleski will travel to Texas for more treat-ments.

LIVER CANCER AWARENESS

Facing the Beast: Jeff ’s Battle against Cancer

LIVER CANCER AWARENESS

Page 5 Cadet Courier Special Edition--Cancer April 26, 2019

Chemotherapy Radiation

What it is “the use of strong drugs to treat cancer” May be used to:

Keep cancer from spreading Make cancer grow slower Kill cancer cells that may have

spread to other parts of the body Make side effects from cancer

better (ex. Pain, blockages) Cure cancer

“the use of strong beams of energy to treat cancer and other problems”

Special machines send high doses of radiation to cancer cells or tumors

Kills cancer cells Keeps cancer cells from

growing Keeps cancer cells from

multiplying

Methods May get chemo At home In your doctor’s office In a clinic In a hospital’s outpatient

infusion center In a hospital

Given: Through a vein By mouth Intrathecal or IT Intra-arterial Intracavitary Intramuscular or IM Intralesional Intravesical Topical

External beam radiation Internal radiation Systemic radiation

Side effects

Can damage normal cells such as Blood-forming cells in bone

marrow Hair follicles Cells in mouth, digestive tract,

and reproductive system Some chemo drugs can damage cells

in heart, kidneys, bladder, lungs, and nervous system

Some chemo drugs cause long-term side effects

Heart damage Nerve damage Fertility problems

Fatigue Skin Irritation in areas where

radiation is given Fever/chills Sore Mouth Dry mouth Nausea Vomiting Diarrhea Change in appetite Pain or difficulty in swallowing

Facts from cancer.org

Adam Skoda moved to West Point along with his family August 1, 2016. Skoda did not just bring his family; he also brought his hard work, determi-nation, coaching and teaching skills, passion, and loving spirit. This allowed him to have a great impact on West Point.

High school principal D.J. Weddle stated, “He was a giant of a man, but he had a teddy bear heart.”

Skoda died too soon from neuroendocrine cancer which in his case af-fected his pancreas and liver. The reason this cancer had such an effect on him was that it was fast growing; in fact, the doctors could see the cancer cells multiplying on the blood/tissue slides.

During his fight with cancer, he received much love and support from his family and the community. The town stepped up and brought him meals while others offered to watch his children. Normally, his wife, Leigh Skoda, went with him to his treatments; however, when it all became too difficult for the girls, other good friends like football coach Troy Schlueter provided temporary relief by stepping in.

Having made an impact everywhere, Skoda also received help during his illness from the Nebraska Greats Foundation because he lettered in football at the Uni-versity of Nebraska at Lincoln. They gifted him a grant of $10,000 to help with treatment payments.

Also, different WPBHS organizations raised money to donate to Skoda and his family.

Despite his illness, Sko-da continued to work at the school because he had a true passion for the students and their futures. Even though he was on long-term disability, he worked as much as he could, teaching physical science. Everyone complimented his teaching skills and his ability to maintain student interest and effort.

He had a special connec-tion with the football team, as

CHEMO vs RADIATIONWhat is the difference?CHEMO vs RADIATIONWhat is the difference?

superintendent and coach Bill McAllister emphasized, “He was intense and loved the game, but his passion for the kids exceeded his passion for the game.”

Skoda made the boys see the bigger picture; football was just a means to grow and become the people they wanted to be. Senior football player Blake Anderson said, “He was always the first coach to get on you to do better, but he also was the first one to congratulate you when you did some-thing well.”

His death took a toll on everyone who knew him. His family has been attending counseling sessions. The girls are living as their father would want them to by being involved and trying the best they can in everything they do both athletically and academically. His wife has continued to deal with the loss, but most importantly, she does not want him to be forgotten.

Showing concern for his belongings, he wanted his five national championship rings to go to his wife, three daugh-ters, and son. Looking out for his family, he tried to sell some of his possessions, but they were so important that his family could not let them go. He also made plans to be buried in West Point because he loved it here.

While Skoda was taking treatments, he received a care package with comforting items such as a blanket, slippers, and a variety of other items. Leigh loved this idea and want-ed to do something similar in memory of Skoda. So Leigh, along with her MOPS-Moms of Preschoolers- group, are doing something similar and calling it Adam’s Army.

Even in death, Skoda still betters the West Point-Beemer family.

He created the Mr. Cadet Award for outstanding young men on and off the field inspiring students to reach their full potential. “He was one of those guys that genuinely cares about people. He wasn’t worried if you were the best or worst player on the team. He just wanted to be a positive influence,” said Schlueter.

He added, “He wanted to treat his students and players as his own kids.”

The 2017-2018 season was dedicated to Skoda. The football team worked harder, ran faster, and lifted stron-ger for him. They wanted to make him proud which fueled

their desire to make it to the state playoffs again. After Skoda’s death, “The Dragonfly Story” became an

important parallel to their lives; in fact, it became so mean-ingful to Leigh that she decided to commemorate her late husband with a dragonfly tattoo. In short, this story encom-passes the idea that something better is waiting for everyone, and suffering does not last. Skoda, like the dragonfly, is free from pain and knows that his family is reassured that every-thing is well.

After everything Skoda has gone through, for Leigh, it is crucial that everyone understands how precious life really is; and people are what is truly important, not things. She said, “Everyone should always be kind to each person he meets for one does not know what others are going through and what hardships they face.”

SKODA’S STORYSKODA’S STORYFacing the Beast: Adam’s Battle against Cancer