An LSU athlete got some dreadful news. Doctors diagnosed her with cancer after she started experiencing fatigue and itchy skin.
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19-year-old Rylie Kuyper is on the soccer team for Louisiana State University. However, she soon began experiencing fatigue and shortness of breath during training last July.
"I just thought that I was unfit and needed to run and lift more and practice harder," Kuyper told People. Fast forward to March, and she noticed a lump on her neck during spring break. Doctors soon found a large mass located in her chest.
Doctors eventually diagnosed her with Stage 2 Hodgkin's lymphoma. She began undergoing both chemotherapy and radiation.
"I am 19 and this is difficult to navigate, so it's hard for me to picture a younger girl going through it too," she said. "I think something as simple as showing up on days you don't feel like it, pushing yourself even when you didn't sleep well — that mindset matters. The brain has so much of an effect on your body. Keeping a positive attitude and pushing through the hard times will make this journey a lot better than if I was negative."
LSU Athlete Diagnosed with Cancer
The LSU athlete says that she has leaned more on her teammates during this difficult time. It's been encouraging to see them rally around her.
"For LSU to have known me only for three months and to show up for me the way they have has left me speechless," she said. "Not only soccer, but other sports too — people being kind to me when they don't even know me. There's a saying at LSU that it's 'Just Different,' and I can 100% confirm it is."
The LSU athlete is trying to keep a positive mindset despite her situation and everything that has happened so far.
"Bad things can happen in life, but the way we choose to handle ourselves can make all the difference," she said. "I could feel sorry for myself and think this is unfair, but that won't change the fact that I have cancer."
"What I have control of is my attitude and effort," she also added. "I don't allow myself to pack my bags and live in the bad days. I want to live in the good days and be grateful I can get treatment, and that my cancer is curable, and that I will live after this. It's just a bump in the road."
