Judd Harrelson (left), a West Lincoln student-athlete battling a rare cancer, is presented the South Fork 2A’s Courage Award for the 2020-21 school year by West Lincoln athletic director David Avery./WEST LINCOLN HIGH PHOTO
By CHRIS HOBBS
HobbsDailyReport.com
The South Fork 2A’s “Courage Award” has been presented to a West Lincoln High student-athlete who is battling cancer.
The announcement of the award was via press release from Conference Administrator Butch Parker, who provided this account of Judd Harrelson’s battle:
Harrelson has played baseball for the Rebels and had decided to try out for basketball as a senior.
But during workouts in basketball, his hip began to bother him, so he went to a trainer.
The trainer felt something wasn’t right based on Harrelson having played for three years. She sent him to an orthopedic doctor, who felt things were OK and set up a rehab schedule for Harrelson.
Harrelson decided to drop basketball and focus on rehabbing so he would be ready for baseball season.
West Lincoln’s trainer began to more research and sent Harrelson to another orthopedic doctor, who did scans and tests and blood work. Those revealed a cancer.
Harrelson was diagnosed by an oncologist with Ewing Sarcoma, an extremely rare form of cancer (fewer than 1,000 cases in the U.S. per year).
The cancer occurs in bones and soft tissue around the bones.
Harrelson is in the middle of a 10-week chemotherapy treatment plan.
On Senior Night, which was also West Lincoln’s first home game, Harrelson was able to play and inning and record a fly ball out in right field. He is not expected to play again.
