Binge Sports: Coach Lauren Hill

These are some of the images we’ve seen over the past couple of months of Lauren Hill, the basketball player. But sadly, her playing days are over. If you haven’t been following this story or are new to Binge Sports, you can catch up on the story of this courageous young woman who has been fighting brain cancer, but still lived out her dream of playing college basketball. She was only supposed to play in one game.

To read up on her first and what was supposed to be her last game, click HERE.

For her follow-up performance, click HERE.

Surely, she didn’t play a third game. Oh, she did. Click HERE.

Shortly after that third game in December, her head coach at Mount Saint Joseph, Dan Benjamin, released a statement:

“On behalf of Lauren Hill, her family, Mount St. Joseph University and our Women’s basketball program we would like to thank the NCAA for everything they have done in granting and making Lauren’s dream of playing college basketball come true!

At this time it is Lauren’s wish to remain on as an Honorary Coach!

We would like to thank the public for all their continued support for Lauren and her goal to reach 1 million dollars…Donations can be made to The Cure Starts Now.”

So last night in Cincinnati, Lauren Hill took to the bench as an assistant coach. For someone who wasn’t even supposed to see the year 2015, she is still battling and going strong. She didn’t need a wheelchair and stood throughout warmups. I continue to be in awe of this young woman.

And how about that goal of reaching one million dollars for The Cure Starts Now?

And the donations continue to roll in. Throughout this entire ordeal, it’s been her goal to raise as much money as she possibly can in an attempt to help others fight this deadly disease. Other kids like Luke Knapke, a four-year-old boy who travels from Burlington, Kentucky to Cincinnati every week for chemotherapy treatments for not one, but two brain tumors. Luke calls Lauren one of his heroes so she reached out wanting to meet him. Just try and watch this video, courtesy of WLWT-5, and not lose it. Just click the link below to be redirected to the WLWT website.

http://www.wlwt.com/news/4yearold-brain-tumor-patient-inspired-with-his-friend-lauren-hill/30478728

I said it in another article and even once already in this one, but I continue to be in awe of Lauren Hill. I’m blown away at her drive to make the best out of this awful situation. She was only supposed to play in one game. She played in three. She wasn’t supposed to see the year 2015. Here we are eight days in and she just helped coach a basketball team. She didn’t have to raise any money, but she’s raised more than 1 million dollars for cancer research and from what I can see, she has no plans on slowing down.

Unfortunately, her condition does not allow her to return to classes as a student for the second semester, but I think she flipped it on all of us anyway and became the teacher.

To make a donation to #Layup4Lauren, go to http://www.thecurestartsnow.org/

I’m going to continue to follow up on this incredible story, so keep checking back for updates on the inspiring Lauren Hill. Feel free to comment on this story below, or as always, you can reach out to me @BingeSports and/or @THElukenorris.