Two Newman volleyball players will host the Spike Out Cancer volleyball tournament in support of junior Brooklyn Lane at 6 p.m. on Monday, May 4 in the Fugate Gymnasium.
All proceeds, collected through a GoFundMe page, will directly benefit Lane’s treatment and recovery.
All are welcome to form teams of six to eight individuals to compete in the volleyball tournament. The cost is $50 per team, and the winners will receive $200 in gift cards. The deadline to sign up is May 3. Those who wish to sign up can contact Director of Student Activities Joshua Schoenecker-Prilliman by email at [email protected].
Lane’s diagnosis
After four weeks of rehab for what she thought was a pulled or torn muscle, Lane, a diagnostic medical sonography major, was concerned that something wasn’t right.
“I spoke with my trainer, Noah Rogers, and voiced my concern,” Lane said. “He listened, and we immediately got in touch with the doctor.”
From there, Lane underwent X-rays, MRIs, ultrasounds, CT scans and more. Several of her doctors believed it was a hematoma, but one finally encouraged her to see a specialist.
“When I met with Dr. Alexandra Callan, she gave me three possible options for what it could be, and the last one was cancer,” Lane explained. “After all the testing, we received the news that it was.”
Lane was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma, a rare and aggressive soft tissue cancer. She will soon undergo chemotherapy and radiation treatments, all of which is not covered by insurance.
Right after Lane shared the news about her diagnosis, two of Lane’s volleyball teammates decided to organize a one-of-a-kind fundraiser to benefit the GoFundMe page and support Lane as she puts her Newman education on hold.
A fundraiser organized by friends
Nursing major Josie Weers and biochemistry major Hannah Tymitz both chose their prospective careers for the same reason: to care for others. So it’s no surprise that when they learned of their close friend’s cancer diagnosis, they immediately started brainstorming ways to help.
“Brooklyn is a big ball of joy,” Weers, a junior, said. “She’s always been there for us, so we knew we wanted to give back to her in a special way. Then Hannah came up with the idea to relate it back to volleyball.”
“We remembered how successful the intramural volleyball tournament was just a few weeks back, and I thought, ‘That’s something I would pay to go for,’” Tymitz, a sophomore, added. “Brooklyn loves the gym full of energy and full of life, so we decided this was a beautiful representation and message to her as well.”
The duo decided they needed a little extra help to organize and promote the volleyball tournament, and Tymitz thought, “Who better to turn to than Josh (Schoenecker-Prilliman)? He’s responsible for running a lot of events on campus, he’d be there for us, would encourage us and he knows Brooklyn personally, so we thought, ‘This is perfect.’”
The ladies met with Schoenecker-Prilliman the next day, and within 48 hours, flyers were posted around campus and shared across social media.
“Brooklyn doesn’t know a stranger, and just listening to her story makes people want to be there for her in these hardships,” Weers said. “I went back home two hours away to Leroy, Kansas, this weekend and some of the local people were giving me donations for some girl they didn’t even know. I hope it shows Brooklyn that there are so many people in her corner and that she won’t have to go through this alone.”
A true campus community
Tymitz said it’s been both “emotional and beautiful at the same time” to witness the campus community coming together so quickly.
“You always hope there’s so much kindness in the world, but to see it firsthand is crazy,” she said. “My favorite thing about Newman is the community, including how nice and understanding the professors are. Here, the professors care. A teammate of ours, Avery Kelly, pointed out that if this were to happen at any other school, we wouldn’t get the community we have now. It’s because of the size and community that Newman’s built that we can say we are a family here.”
Both Tymitz and Weers added how grateful they are for the support of Newman alumna and head volleyball coach Tori Provencio — not only as players, but also as individuals.
“She’s so supportive,” Weers said. “She’s told us, ‘You guys have full creativity and I’ll be backing it up every step of the way.”
Although Provencio has only known Lane for about four months, she has left quite an impression on her as a coach.
“She is such a well-rounded student-athlete,” Provencio said. “She excels in every area of her life, including uplifting everyone around her. She is such a bright light, and I just want her to know how strong of a woman she is. She has this … and we will help her fight.”
Tymitz described Lane as “a force to be reckoned with” and “stubborn in the best way possible.”
“Even with what’s upcoming in her life now,” Tymitz said, “there’s nothing that’s going to hold her back.”
Lane’s gratitude and trust in God’s plan
When Lane heard about her teammates’ effort to host a fundraiser for her and her family, “it didn’t even feel real,” she said.
“I was overwhelmed in the best way, just seeing how many people care enough to show up for me like that,” Lane said. “It made me emotional, because it’s not just about the fundraiser, it’s about the love and support and knowing I’m not going through this alone. It has meant more to me than I could ever fully put into words.”
Lane said there are moments when everything hits her — particularly the realization of just how many people are supporting her.
“It’s given me so much strength and comfort during something that has felt really heavy,” Lane said. “Newman doesn’t just feel like a school; it feels like a family, and that means everything to me right now.”
Lane and her family are relying on faith for strength and peace during this challenging journey, and are grateful for all the prayers, kind words and support received.
“I’m trusting in God’s plan that he gave me this battle to show me a strength I didn’t know I had,” Lane said. “My faith has reminded me that I’m never alone in this, and it continues to carry me forward each day with hope and purpose.”
Donate to Brooklyn Lane’s GoFundMe page
Every donation — big or small — will go directly toward her medical care, treatments and helping ease the stress on her family during this hard time.
