Quarterback Faces Toughest Game Yet

By COLLEEN CURRAN, GB Youth Board

Published: December 18, 2003

ROSWELL—Imagine. You are a sophomore in high school and one of the most athletically talented people in the school--the varsity football team’s starting quarterback.

All of a sudden, you start to feel a pain in your leg. You blow it off. “It’s just because of football and all this exercise,” you say to yourself.

However, the pain increases every day, and then you injure your knee. You go to see a doctor. The doctor gives you his diagnosis.

“You have cancer,” he says, as he shows you the X-rays of a tumor.

That one mass of rapidly reproducing cells is suddenly threatening your life, your future, your dreams.

This may seem a little hard to imagine, but for Sam Robb, 17, a junior at Blessed Trinity High School, it’s life.

Last year Sam was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma, a type of bone cancer. Last year also happened to be the year he was the varsity football team’s starting quarterback, and the year the Blessed Trinity Titans went to their first state playoffs.

“I was shocked,” Sam said.

Osteogenic sarcoma is a rare form of bone cancer most commonly found in children and young adults, ranging in age from 10 to 25.

This form of cancer is sometimes hard to detect, as it can often be confused with other diseases. The most common sign of osteogenic sarcoma is a sharp or dull pain, which is usually disregarded as an everyday injury or growing pains.

It wasn’t until Sam was injured that he found the root of his pain.

“I was playing through pain. I tore a muscle and I had an MRI done and that’s when they found the tumor,” Sam said. According to WebMD, one method of removing the cancer is amputation. However, Sam had a different operation, commonly referred to as limb-salvaging. In this operation, his whole knee bone was removed and taken apart piece by piece; then an artificial bone replaced the original bone, again being put into place piece by piece.

All of the ligaments and muscle tissues then had to be returned to their normal placements, and hopefully the body will accept this new bone, which, in Sam’s case, it fortunately did. However, surgery was not the end of medical means of recovery.

Sam had to go to numerous chemotherapy sessions, which he started around Halloween of last year and just ended this September. On top of that, Sam also had to go to physical therapy, which involved the typical rehab required after a serious injury.

Sam missed about one-half to two-thirds of the school year. For all high school teens, it is easy to cringe at the thought of all of the homework and class work that is missed over that period of time.

Sam has worked hard to get back on track.

“I had a bunch of stuff to do,” he said. “The teachers were cool, they gave me all of the necessary homework and the necessary stuff. I am still getting caught up from last year.”

That includes finals.

Cancer in any form is always a shocking experience, but to have to deal with it as a teenager is even more dreadful. These years are filled with friends, dances, sports, activities, and these years are the last years of childhood, leading up to college.

And though many would struggle to accept their diagnosis, Sam, a member of St. Brigid Church in Alpharetta, has approached it with the same determination he used on the football field.

“I didn’t try to let it change my life … you’ve got to deal with it,” he said.

And indeed, he has dealt with it, and his parents, Sam and Annamarie Robb, his family, teachers and peers have noticed how well he has coped with the changes.

“It is very difficult for a parent to watch their son or daughter battle a serious disease such as cancer … Sam has accepted the realities of the disease and the treatment without self-pity or complaint. He has become a source of strength for our family,” said his mother.

Mike Coveny, a football coach at Blessed Trinity, has also been influenced by Sam’s positive attitude.

“Sam has (faced) his illness with courage and strength. His impact on the team was powerful and lasting. His impact on me is unforgettable,” he said.

Sam feels the same way about his family and friends.

“They’ve been the best part. They’re the best supporters,” he said.

Sam is now finished with chemotherapy. He hopes to try out for baseball in the spring as a pitcher, and is currently training with former major league pitcher and Blessed Trinity parent, Paul Assenmacher.

He is still active within the football team, and can be seen giving the Titans new quarterback, Eric Maust, some helpful hints.

He’s been there at every game to support his teammates, and he made sure he was at Buford on Nov. 22 to watch the Titans go on to their second state playoffs.

Sam is an inspirational teenager who has shown the traits of courage and determination throughout his battle with bone cancer. What is his main message to others? “Never surrender.”

Colleen Curran is a freshman at Blessed Trinity High School, Roswell, and a parishioner at St. Brigid Church, Alpharetta.