Beating Cancer On And Off The Pitch
10/29/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
By Matt Breach
Special to GoZags.com
SPOKANE, Wash. - When Becca Lentz first learned her father had stage IV cancer, and only a 20-percent chance of living, she put on her strongest face.
Despite dealing with her own devastation, Lentz courageously comforted her weeping mother. She did her best to assuage the concerns of her distraught younger sister. And when the moment finally allowed, she escaped to her bedroom to manage her own emotions, in private.
"I cried for about an hour," she said.
Yet even in her family's nadir, Lentz came to a powerful realization.
"As long as you stay together and you're strong as a family," she said, "then you will get through this."
Lentz and the rest of the Gonzaga women's soccer team are doing their part to battle cancer. On Sunday, they hosted Pink on the Pitch. The Bulldogs wore pink uniforms during their match with Pepperdine and gave fans pink bags in an effort to raise awareness about breast cancer.
Pink on the Pitch was especially meaningful for Lentz and two of her teammates, Ali Ohashi and Emma Dolcetti. All three have witnessed family members combat cancer in recent years.
"I think things like (Pink on the Pitch) are extremely important," Ohashi said. "It makes me hopeful when you see so many people who have experienced the same thing and are willing to share their stories and put together these events to help bring awareness and fight cancer."
Ohashi, a junior midfielder from Montesano, Wash., was in junior high when her mother, Debbi Ohashi, was diagnosed with breast cancer.
At the time, Ohashi was too young to fully grasp the magnitude of what her mother was going through. But she does recall the unwavering support her mother received from everyone, including her co-workers, who gave her their sick days after she exhausted all of hers.
"I think it's just amazing how people come together when we're struggling through something," Ohashi said.
Ohashi's mother has been in remission for eight years. If she can make it to the 10-year mark without a recurrence, the risk of cancer returning, although not guaranteed, is unlikely.
"She stayed really strong and battled through it," Ohashi said. "I'm proud of her for doing that."
Much like Ohashi's mother, Dolcetti's father, Renato Dolcetti, didn't let cancer dictate his outlook on life.
"He has always been the rock and the strongest person in our family," Dolcetti said. "I expected the worst and he didn't show much fear, if any."
Doctors found a malignant tumor in Renato's arm in August of 2010. He endured surgery as well as radiation treatments. The following spring, he was given a clean bill of health.
"It just puts everything into perspective," said Dolcetti, a redshirt senior forward. "You realize you can get through a lot more than you might think."
Dolcetti is proof positive. In addition to her father's battle, cancer has also taken the life of her grandmother (breast cancer) and her youth soccer coach (colon cancer).
For the last three years, Dolcetti has helped organize a memorial soccer tournament in her hometown of Vernon, British Columbia, to honor her former coach. Events like this one, as well as Pink on the Pitch, remind Dolcetti that, "Even though we've gotten past our obstacle as a family, it's a part of our life," she said. "We will keep fighting it."
That was the only option for Lentz's father, Tom. Last year, doctors discovered stage IV cancer, the most-advanced form, in his throat, tongue and mouth. The only way to fight it was with intense treatment. In a span of three months, he underwent seven rounds of chemotherapy and 38 radiation treatments.
"I didn't realize how hard it was until I saw somebody go through it," Lentz said. "My dad was extremely strong and he was always positive - he was the most positive one out of the whole family."
The outpouring of support her family received, particularly the endless stream of home-cooked meals from friends and neighbors, overwhelmed Lentz during this time.
"It's nice to know you're not alone," said Lentz, a freshman defender from Marysville, Wash. "I think it means a lot that there are people who are supporting you and they are letting everyone know, 'Hey, you will get through this.' "
At the end of October, Lentz's father, despite being given grim odds at the outset, will have been in remission for 10 months.
"I could never imagine my dad ever having this again," Lentz said. "He went through a lot and I would never want him to go through this again - I would never want anyone to have to go through this."
