Timmy Ward Has Battled On and Off the Football Field

By Eric Moreno | Posted 11/21/2019

Few words carry more sheer weight with them than “cancer.” The word itself elicits the full range of emotions in nearly everyone that it touches. No matter what age, an encounter with the disease changes a person’s life forever. For Canton Area High School senior Timmy Ward, cancer made him refocus on what matters most to him in his life; his family, friends, and sports – especially the game of football.

Ward running the football

An all-around athlete, as a member of his school’s baseball, track, and wrestling teams in addition to being an All-State defensive back in Canton, Pennsylvania, Ward was seemingly born to compete. Through it all, football has long been a passion of his and has taken to the sport like the proverbial duck to water. He began playing at a young age, following in the footsteps of his father and uncles, and since then, has never looked back.

“My dad played football, my uncles played football, and growing up from a young age, I found a love for it and just wanted to pursue it and get better at it every day,” said Ward. “Being able to hit people and not get into trouble was just something I really loved to do. That’s my favorite part about playing.”

Ward’s life was forever changed when he discovered a lump on his side before the start of the football season in 2018. After a biopsy, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a form of blood cancer often found in children and young adults. The diagnosis hit him hard, but he knew that fighting cancer would be just like any other opponent he had faced in his life and he was determined to beat it.

“I found out I had cancer on November 26, 2018,” said Ward. “In early July, I found a lump in my armpit, which was a swollen lymph node. We got an appointment with my family doctor. He didn’t think it was anything to worry about. Football season started and in about August, I noticed [the lump] had gotten bigger and almost firmer. About halfway through the season, I met with a surgeon to get a biopsy to see what was in it after the season ended. The week after the biopsy I got diagnosed.”

Ward's before and after chemo photo.

The chemotherapy treatments took a toll on Ward and he missed significant time both on the field and in the classroom his junior year at Canton. However, in March of this year, Ward was able to ring the bell after his final chemotherapy treatment and he was proclaimed cancer free on May 1.

“When I first got diagnosed, I went through denial, shock… all of it,” he said. “At the time, it’s hard to believe something like that could happen to me. I thought I was sleeping and having a nightmare. After a while, I was able to process it and realize what was happening and pretty much accept it. I knew I was going to beat it and just like football, I’ll fight and do my best. Playing sports and my competitiveness, my not wanting to lose – that all played a big part in my being able to get through this as well as I did.”

While he missed out on this year’s football season, Ward was granted a medical hardship and will be able to return next fall to suit up for one final season for the Warriors. For a competitor such as Ward, it is an opportunity he can’t wait to take part in. With the future looming, Ward looks forward to getting back on the field and hopefully continuing his football career while attending college.

“My family and all my friends and my community really rallied around me and supported me through everything,” he said. “Whatever I needed, they made sure I got it. I’ll get to wrestle and play baseball this year and I really can’t wait to get out there and compete on the football field with my friends next season.”

Ward wrestling

 

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