Colorado State University Athletics
Photo by: Nick Monaghan
RamWire: Our Inspiring Teammate
3/21/2019 9:15:00 AM | Volleyball, RamWire
For those of you that have been inside Moby Arena for a Colorado State volleyball match, you may have noticed a young lady standing with the Rams and cheering them on. That young lady is Sara Robinson, who has spent the last four seasons as an honorary team member of the CSU volleyball team. The Rams' adopted Sara in March 2015 through the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation and at the time was a 10-year-old who was going through the battle of her life. Cancer.
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Robinson began having seizures at birth and was diagnosed with epilepsy at 10 days old. Despite constant medication and a team of doctors at Denver's Children's Hospital, no reason could be found for the seizures. In May 2014, during a routine MRI check-up, a large optic glioma tumor was found behind her left eye, attached to her optic nerve. At nine years old, Robinson began chemo treatments in October 2014, which lasted through the fall.
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After being contacted about a potential match, Head Volleyball Coach Tom Hilbert discussed the idea with his team. While there were obvious benefits, he wanted his players to understand the full circle of emotions that would come from something of this magnitude. The team not only agreed to, but embraced the opportunity, and was introduced to Robinson on March 11, 2015. She has been an honorary team member up until the end of 2018 season when she 'graduated' since she is becoming the NCAA eligible age to be recruited.
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Friends of Jaclyn was created to help improve the quality of life for children with pediatric brain tumors, and their families, by pairing them with college and high school athletic teams. The foundation began in 2005 when Jaclyn Murphy, then a nine year old who was battling a malignant brain tumor, was connected to the Northwestern women's lacrosse team by chance events. Shortly after, she was adopted by the team as an honorary member. Overwhelmed with love, support and friendship from the team, Jaclyn shared a dream with her father that she wanted other children with pediatric brain tumors to have similar experiences.
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From there, Friends of Jaclyn was created, and has since spread to impact more than 800 partnered children and teams, including CSU's football team.
For more RamWire content, click here.
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Robinson began having seizures at birth and was diagnosed with epilepsy at 10 days old. Despite constant medication and a team of doctors at Denver's Children's Hospital, no reason could be found for the seizures. In May 2014, during a routine MRI check-up, a large optic glioma tumor was found behind her left eye, attached to her optic nerve. At nine years old, Robinson began chemo treatments in October 2014, which lasted through the fall.
Â
After being contacted about a potential match, Head Volleyball Coach Tom Hilbert discussed the idea with his team. While there were obvious benefits, he wanted his players to understand the full circle of emotions that would come from something of this magnitude. The team not only agreed to, but embraced the opportunity, and was introduced to Robinson on March 11, 2015. She has been an honorary team member up until the end of 2018 season when she 'graduated' since she is becoming the NCAA eligible age to be recruited.
Â
Friends of Jaclyn was created to help improve the quality of life for children with pediatric brain tumors, and their families, by pairing them with college and high school athletic teams. The foundation began in 2005 when Jaclyn Murphy, then a nine year old who was battling a malignant brain tumor, was connected to the Northwestern women's lacrosse team by chance events. Shortly after, she was adopted by the team as an honorary member. Overwhelmed with love, support and friendship from the team, Jaclyn shared a dream with her father that she wanted other children with pediatric brain tumors to have similar experiences.
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From there, Friends of Jaclyn was created, and has since spread to impact more than 800 partnered children and teams, including CSU's football team.
For more RamWire content, click here.
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