Right now, Taylor Goethals is in her comfort zone: the warmth of the sun on cloudless days, the smell of freshly cut grass and the sounds of aluminum on leather keep her going once the school day ends.
Goethals, a sophomore, is not getting the full softball experience, as she’s unable to play spring ball with Plant City High School because of her battle with cancer. But, even without medical clearance, she’s showing that she’s still not letting fibrosarcoma dominate her life.
This year, Goethals is spending her free time as manager of the Lady Raiders softball team, despite going through cancer treatments.
“I’m just like one of the players,” she says. “I get to practice with the girls, but the only thing I can’t do is play the games. I help set up the fields, break down the fields — pretty much everything a player does.”
STILL FIGHTING
Goethals has been dealing with her cancer for over five years and, while her condition has improved somewhat, she’s not out of the woods yet.
In the fall of 2015, she had completed chemotherapy and was declared stable. This allowed her to go after her dream of playing high school softball, even if it was just fall ball. She played first base (although coach Ashley Bullion doesn’t think she enjoyed it much) and didn’t have any setbacks.
At least, not until later in the fall. When her tumors started to grow again, she got on a pill that stabilized them long enough for her to finish the season and for her family to plan their next move.
Two weeks ago, that move took her to Maryland. Goethals is undergoing a form of alternative therapy that, in her words, is similar to antibody therapy in that it naturally turns the body against the cancer cells.
“They do some injections in my arm that are supposed to train the tumors to fight against each other, to help it,” Goethals says.
These injections — once every three days, for three weeks at a time — give her flu-like symptoms. They most recently caused her to miss one week of school.
On the plus side, she says that they beat the heck out of the side effects from chemo.
“There are other people on this trial, and they’ve had good outcomes with some people,” Goethals says. “I’m hoping for the best. There was one person with the same cancer as me … and now hers is completely gone.”
TEAM PLAYER
Through it all, the Lady Raiders have been as supportive as can be.
They know how much the game means to Goethals, who has been playing since fifth grade. They see that, even though she’s going through pain they can’t begin to imagine, she still pushes through it to be a part of the team.
“We wanted her to play (spring softball), and I didn’t know she was going to be unable to play until toward the end of fall,” head coach Ashley Bullion says. “I pleaded with her to make sure that she would still come out here, because I really want her to be out here. I know she wants to be out here and, even if she can’t be as much as she wants to, we want her to be here as much as she can.”
Goethals is in the dugout for every game, whether home or away, and always fired up to support her team.
“She’s in great spirits,” Bullion says. “I could not imagine dealing with what she’s dealing with, and for her to come out here and act like nothing’s wrong is just amazing. It shows a lot of maturity.”
As an athlete, Goethals does miss being able to put on a uniform, step onto the field and compete in the action. For the moment, it’s looking like she won’t be able to do so until at least this fall.
Watching the team play from the dugout can be tough, but she does see the big picture.
“I miss playing the games,” Goethals says. “Being up to bat, being able to run my bases. I miss really playing. Being an athlete, you want to be able to play the games — you want to be in it. But, at the same time, you know you’re not going to be able to play at all. It’s hard to sit there and watch but, at the same time, it’s good, what I’m doing.”
Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.