GOODBYE STEPHANIE
Stephanie Phillips, the Georgia highschool star pitcher, whose inspirational, courageous battle against Ewing’s sarcoma was watched and praised by people all across America, passed away at 530 this morning.
In 2002, SPY carried the story of Stephanie Phillips, a promising pitcher in Fayette , Georgia , who was diagnosed with cancer at age 11, seemed to have stabilized and for three years was declared cancer free, but the cancer recurred. Softball fans were especially touched by the story of Stephanie pitching and winning the first round of the State championship, after learning she once again had cancer, then, sitting in the dugout, cheering on her teammates as they played for and won the championship, and carried her out to the mound to receive the trophy – for a game she had hoped to pitch. In September, 2003, the outlook was grim; Stephanie had undergone very complicated hemi-pelvictomy surgery as an alternative to having the leg amputated. While recuperating, infection set in and Stephanie underwent further surgery to clean out the wound. Everyone hoped all of the cancer cells were actually removed, and, the downstream implications of the infection seemed controllable. But, the cancer returned – yet Stephanie never lost hope.
The daily journal posted by her mother, Patti, gives testament to a valiant struggle. As sick as she was, Stephanie threw out the first pitch at the 2004 Gold Nationals (picture) and was incredibly upbeat.
Stephanie Phillips long journey into the darkness of death has ended, yet, even as we mourn her loss, we hope and pray, as must people of all faiths, that her indominatable spirit emerged from the night into a brilliant afterlife.
When I received news of her death, I thought of a picture which hung on the wall of the Indian mission school I attended in the primary grades which showed a child being escorted into Heaven by a group of angels – and I thought Stephanie surely formed a new team of angels made up of so many young athletes who died in their teens, including a cancer victim who played for me.
It says much that is good about our softball community that the first reaction of so many was rooted in their faith.
The message last week from Gale Fossatti was typical of our mail: I have been following the Caring Bridges site daily since you posted it a few months ago. Her mom must be an incredibly strong woman. I can hardly function at work today knowing the end is so near. The picture of her and her sisters, her cousins. She is an adorable child. Why can't the Lord chose one of us that has circled the bases of life more times than we cared to?
Jennie Finch brightened Stephanie’s life last year, sending her a message of encouragement and Olympic memorabilia. When told the end was near, Jennie sent this message: Goodness, I am so sad. Why? We just have to keep trusting in the one up above. I will be praying for Steph and her family constantly in the future. Thanks for letting me know Steph and sharing her with me and maybe put a smile in her life!
The softball community cares because we understand the fundamental truth enunciated by John Donne:
"All mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated...As therefore the bell that rings to a sermon, calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to come: so this bell calls us all: but how much more me, who am brought so near the door by this sickness....No man is an island, entire of itself...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."-- John Donne
Stephanie throwing out the first pitch, Gold Nationals, 2004
Stephanie’s Battle with Incurable Ewing’s sarcoma
Throughout the long struggle, Stephanie’s mother Patti has kept us informed by email, and through a personal page on CareBridge. This note was posted on February 3rd, at the end of a week which began with a vigil on Sunday when Patti said the doctors thought they had lost her – but Steph rebounded. “That’s Steph,” a nurse said. The page:
Welcome to Stephanie's Page
For those of you who do not know her history I will try and give a short
version of what she has been dealing with.
Stephanie's journey began New Years Eve 1998 at the age of 12. Stephanie
had a pain in her left hip that would not go away. So on New Years Day 1999 we
spent the day at an urgent care center. They told us she had cat scratch fever.
Well two weeks later when it was not better her pitching coach (she was a
fastpitch pitcher) urged us to take her back to the doctor and find out what was
up. After a blur of tests we were told that Stephanie had Ewings Sarcoma in the
left pelvis and the journey began.
We started the standard Ewings protocol and she had chemo, radiation
and surgery to remove the tumor. She finished in Feburary of 2000.
All was great for almost 2 1/2 years. In the fall of 2002 while going
through regular scans a new tumor was found. She began outpatient chemo and
since she relapsed in the exact same spot it was decided that the bone had to
come out. So after her chemo was complete she underwent surgery to remove the
majority of the left side of her pelvis, left hip joint and top of the left
femur. In it's place a saddle prothessis was inserted. This was a long 12 hour
surgery and she developed a bad infection and spent almost a month in the
hospital.
This year started off well with Stephanie getting used to crutches and
getting back to being a teenager. She graduated from high school this year and
also turned 18. She started having pain off and on in her left leg but no sign
of relapse.
On August 25 her pain got to the point we could no longer manage at home
so we ended up in the hospital to get the pain under control. After a series of
test it was discovered that the Ewings has now spread to the lungs and we have
been told there is no more treatment that can cure her. There are a couple of
trials coming open in the near future and we may try those.
Most important we are not giving up.
End