From the Hospital to the Soccer Field

NORTHRIDGE, CA – Soccer is seen as a universal sport. Anybody can play. It doesn’t matter where they come from, look like, or what they’ve been through. Samantha Morales went from receiving horrible news when she was seven to playing her favorite sport in high school.

Credit: Nelson Cruz

Samantha Morales is now a cancer survivor. Morales remembers her past. “My experience overall going through cancer was scary, and it was something I was I had never gone through,” she said. “...but it definitely helped shape who I am today.”

Her parents found a cyst on her left arm. Eventually, the 14-year-old was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma. She then had surgery to remove the cyst.

She couldn’t have done this by herself. Her mother, Jenny Reyes, was by her side through it all. “We are so blessed to see her play the game she loves the most,” she said. “She has fun with her friends. She’s healthy, and there is nothing else we can ask for.”

From the hospital and doctor visits to the soccer field, Samantha Morales has had a difficult journey as a young person. Morales mentions how she's feeling. “I feel blessed that I am able to play soccer because it is something I grew a love for very quickly,” she said. “…and I am glad I was able to make the team in high school.”

High school sports can be seen as a help to some.

A study made by the National Federation of State High School Association in 2006 found that if given the opportunity to female students to play sports, they improve their weight and body mass. Not only does playing sports help physically, but it also helps mentally. The NFHS found in 2007 that the average GPA of a student-athlete is 2.84, while an average student averages a GPA of 2.68. Sports and cancer have been linked with great sports figures like cyclists Lance Armstrong.

The fight continues. She goes to yearly CT scans to check if any cancer has come back or formed.

Sister of Samantha Morales, Alenny Morales, shares her thoughts on what happened with her sister. “Despite everything she’s gone through, she’s still happy,” she said. “she’s still smiling, and she’s still doing everything any normal kid could do.”

There’s always a chance for something. This was seen with Samantha Morales overcoming obstacles and now playing soccer.