Michael Wilson - Testicular Cancer
Baseball is life for Michael Wilson. It's all he's ever known since the age of three, but testicular cancer threatened to take that all away. That he even thought to check himself was a fortunate coincidence. "The mother of a friend of mine is a nurse, and was always telling us to examine ourselves," he says.
After taking her advice, Michael immediately found a lump. Two weeks later, he got up the courage to tell his father. "He thought it was something minor, but somehow, I knew I had cancer," he says. A trip to M. D. Anderson confirmed his suspicions, and Michael underwent surgery and chemotherapy in 1996 at the age of 23. Luckily, his testicular cancer was caught at the earliest possible stage.
Michael faced his diagnosis with the determination of a seasoned athlete. Doctors told him he would never play baseball again, but he proved them wrong. In fact, Michael was back with his team at Houston Baptist University just weeks after treatment. "I realized that I could get through anything if I just pushed myself." Michael was also inspired by bicyclist Lance Armstrong, who was diagnosed with testicular cancer at the same time. "He showed everybody that cancer just made him a better athlete--no one can beat him now."
Michael continues to live his dream, and plays professional baseball for the Edinburg, Texas Roadrunners. Cancer is one game he knows he can win.