Twitter wants LeBron James to meet high school basketball star Ebony Nettles-Bey, who is currently battling stage four cancer.
Honestly if your not tweeting #LeBronMeetEbony whatever you saying on twitter is not important! #LeBronMeetEbony #LeBronMeetEbony
— Team10 (@Its_NaiyaNicole) February 6, 2014
Prior to her diagnosis, Ebony was a star basketball player at Madison West High School in Madison, Wisconsin. She’d been playing since second grade, reports Wkow.
Having earned first team all-conference honors, the talented 16-year-old athlete was bestowed a full basketball scholarship to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Ebony had a promising basketball career when she moved to Verona over the summer.
However, before Ebony had the opportunity to play for the Verona Wildcats, she was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). Rhabdomyosarcoma is a fairly rare cancer that effects the connective soft tissue within the body. Soft tissue sarcomas make up about three percent of childhood cancers.
The two most common forms are embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma and alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. The former occurs in infants and younger children, while the later effects older children and teenagers.
For Ebony, the disease initially presented in intermittent difficulty breathing during games. Then during an AAU tournament Ebony was incapable of playing to her usual potential and was ultimately taken to the hospital. The discovery of a lump under the girl’s breast alongside her rib and fluid surrounding her lungs led to Ebony’s cancer diagnosis.
The doctors disclosed the treatment and survival to Ebony and her family, and explained she’d be too weak to play the sport she loves. But the tenacious teenager fought and played basketball anyway, through the fatigue and exhaustion – even after surgery and chemotherapy.
Although the girl has since lost her hair and over 10 pounds, the 5-foot-7-inch tall Wildcat has managed to make Verona’s starting five.
According to Yahoo Sports, Ebony says, “When I play basketball, I don’t really think about cancer. It kind of relates to cancer. If you give up in a game — if you’re getting blown out — then you’ll lose, but if you keep fighting back, then you still have a chance to win. I’m going to beat it. I think that if I give up, I will die, but if I keep being strong, then I won’t.”
Inspired by Ebony’s story and strength, the public has since taken to Twitter, campaigning on behalf of the brave girl, as Ebony has always dreamed of meeting LeBron James.
LeBron James is a professional basketball player who started his professional career playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003 and currently plays for the Miami Heat. During that time, LeBron James has won two NBA championships, four NBA Most Valuable Player Awards, two NBA Finals MVP Awards, two Olympic gold medals, an NBA scoring title, and an NBA Rookie of the Year Award.
Using the hagtag #LeBronMeetEbony, thousands of Twitter users are enthusiastically trying to convince the pro athlete to fulfill Ebony’s dream.
Reports say the Miami Heat will be visiting the Chicago Bulls on March 9. This will be within reasonable driving distance from Verona, and happens to be on a day off for the Wisconsin’s Division 1 girls’ basketball tournament.
You could put a smile on a girls face when she’s doing the hardest thing imaginable, fighting cancer. Make her smile!! #LeBronMeetEbony
— aliona (@alionaaaz) February 6, 2014
@KingJames make this amazingly strong girl’s dream come true!! She deserves this and so much more! #LeBronMeetEbony pic.twitter.com/W6sTqpDGwy
— Alyssa Erdman (@alyssacaylyn) February 6, 2014
[photo credit: Newsone]
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