Gilbert swimmer inspires in her battle with brain cancer
None of these baseball players and coaches know who Gabi McLenna is. But they know she needs help.
And they are there for the Gilbert High School senior swimmer this week to help raise money as she battles brain cancer.
McLenna, a captain on the swim team, is humbled that Team Emery chose her for the high school benefit baseball tournament that runs Thursday through Saturday at Tempe Diablo Stadium. The event will raise funds to offset a mountain of medical costs.
This is the third year that former Gilbert Perry baseball player Emery Miller is running a tournament to help a family in need in the community with the Team Emery Classic.
There are 24 teams playing. There will be a silent team auction during the tournament with former Gilbert Perry quarterback Brock Purdy, former Chandler Hamilton baseball player Cody Bellinger, now with the Dodgers, and Diamondbacks player Daulton Varsho having items at the auction to help raise money for the family.
“These people are here for me,” McLenna said. “It’s amazing.”
McLenna wants her story to be one of hope and inspiration and to show that she can beat cancer.
It was March 24, when she was diagnosed with brain cancer. After qualifying for state in the 100-yard freestyle and the 4x100 relay at the Division I state swimming and diving championships in early November, she was named one of the captains for this year’s team.
In late February and into March, she was getting headaches that only worsened. At first, she thought she was dehydrated. But she knew something was wrong when she wouldn’t be able to look at anything without feeling ill. She would become too nauseated to eat.
A biopsy came back showing she had cancer. She has gone through 32 rounds of radiation and 41 days of oral chemotherapy. She’ll start more chemo in the next few weeks.
The 17-year-old has tried to get into the pool a few times this season, but as she swims laps, her heart pounds and her head hurts. And she has to climb out. But she hasn’t given up on swimming, or her teammates, whom she cheers on from the pool deck. And she knows she can get through this.
“She was already our feisty one,” said Teri McLenna, Gabi’s mom. “We knew she was a tough kid. But she is now unbelievable. We’re a family of great faith. Her faith is just skyrocketing and inspires us every single day.”
McLenna was determined to swim this year.
“She’s like, ‘Nope, no matter what, I’m going to go,’ “her mother said. “She would get really tired. I was like, ‘You’re not trying to get to state this year. You’ve been through a lot. Just kind of slow down.’ Now she’s hit or miss in the water.
She’ll do the warmup. The heat just wipes her out. But she’s amazing, thank God.”
Gabi’s family has just gotten closer. She is the middle child with an older sister and younger brother. Her sister Dani, who has graduated from Gilbert, swam on the same high school team with Gabi.
Their father is a firefighter. He was able to help with putting together a softball charity game this week in conjunction with the Team Emery Classis with a game between the Gilbert and Mesa fire departments.
Gabi’s story will have a happy ending, she is confident.
She wants to be an inspiration for others in her position, feeling hopeless, that there is something to look forward to.
In the end, what would she tell those struggling to find hope?
“I get it,” she said. “I was there, too. I’m still battling it. But you can keep a positive attitude. That’s the only thing that can get you through it. And God. Keep your eyes on God and pray and it will be done.”