Nick’s Fight
11/28/2016
Nick Holmes senior season wasn’t supposed to end like this. No, if everything went right the 6’3 Overland High School guard’s senior season was supposed to end like his junior season did, lifting the state championship trophy. Maybe if things didn’t work out perfectly, Holmes final high school season would have ended in a packed gym in late February after leading his team deep into the playoffs. But it wasn’t supposed to end with a surgery and the news that he had Cancer.
The diagnosis of Osteosarcoma came as a shock. “Back in September my hip started hurting, and I went to the trainer at Overland. At first, we thought maybe I had pulled something, and I just went on with it, iced it, and treated it as a normal injury, ” said Holmes. And went on he did, not missing a workout and playing well at the West Coast Elite Camp. ” The first thing we thought was that is was just some nagging injury. Maybe he fell and hit his hip some type of way. Give him some ice or take an Epson salt bath. But he kept complaining over the days and over the days about his hip hurting and bothering him. Then we thought we had better get him to the doctor, ” said Nick’s father, Julian.
An x-ray reviled a mass on his hip. The first MRI was inconclusive, but something was there. Then the second MRI gave the possibilities of what it could be which meant Nick would need a biopsy. Finally, the biopsy proved that it was indeed Osteosarcoma. “The doctors did state that it’s curable and that it is treatable. We are grateful to God for it being treatable and curable,” said Julian.
“It was a moment of blankness for me when I first got the news,” said Overland head coach Danny Fisher. ” After I talked to his dad, after surgery, I just sat down for a while and couldn’t really say anything. My concern for Nick was really really strong but dad telling me that everything was curable was a really big deal,” Fisher said. Then basketball part set in. Holmes was one of the most experienced players coming back for Overland as going to be leaned on heavily this season. He still will be a vocal presence at practices and games.
Since Nick broke the news on Twitter last week that he had cancer, the support for him and his parents has been almost overwhelming. There has been a stream of consistent visitors at the Holmes household. “I definitely don’t feel alone,” said Holmes. There have been seemingly countless messages of support on Holmes’s social media pages. “People that I never even talked to are reaching out to me, telling that if I need anything let them know. It’s just a good feeling knowing that that many people care.” Including other high school basketball teams like Sand Creek that has shown and given support to Nick and his family.
The process and treatment plan is just in the beginning stages for Holmes. Which leaves his recovery and rehab process up in the air. That also means that college and basketball will be put on the back burner as Nick gets healthy. But the long-term plan is that Holmes will be back playing basketball collegiately in the future.
” Coach Danny, the entire coaching staff at Overland, the student body and staff at Overland, and all of the schools who have reached out with support and their thoughts and prayers for Nick. We just want to say thank you and we ask that you continue your prayers for Nick and continue the support that has been given so far we’d really appreciate it,” said Julian.
