The purple streaks on Auburn baseball head coach John Pawlowski's "We R Praying 4 MLP" wristband have faded, but his hope for his daughter Mary-Louise to be cancer-free one day has not.
"This is my original (wristband)," Pawlowski said. "It's faded a little bit because of being out in the sun so much, but I have never taken it off since November of 2007."
One month before, Mary-Louise was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer known as PNET (primitive neuroectodermal tumor) cancer.
She was 13 years old.
"When we found out that she had cancer, it was an absolute shock," Pawlowski said. "It's something that you hear, see and read about, but you're never prepared for when it falls into your lap."
What began as a pain in her side after volleyball practice one afternoon quickly developed into a mass about the size of a softball.
"The doctors did an X-ray and thought she had pneumonia," Pawlowski said. "They treated it that way and, four weeks later, her side was still bothering her."
Pawlowski said they took Mary-Louise back to the doctors for more X-rays, which is when they discovered it was not pneumonia, but a tumor that had grown exponentially since she first noticed the pain in her side.
Pawlowski said the tumor metastasized in Mary-Louise's chest wall.
"(The doctors) determined that they had to get it out, but they had to shrink it," Pawlowski said. "In 2008, she went through 12 rounds of chemo, when the tumor was small enough, they felt they could go in there and take it out."
Pawlowski said the doctors continued all of Mary-Louise's chemotherapy treatments after they removed the tumor.
"She finished every round of chemo," Pawlowski said.
Then in December 2008, Pawlowski said Mary-Louise faced a life-threatening setback from her chemotherapy.
"Her immune system was down so low that she developed an infection, so she went into septic shock and was in ICU for 38 days," Pawlowski said.
Pawlowski said Mary-Louise was in such critical condition she had to relearn simple motor functions such as walking, talking and writing.
"When she was in ICU, there were some touchy moments...when we weren't sure if she was going to make it, but she just kept getting better and better," Pawlowski said. "She had to start over."
Pawlowski said he remembers writing Mary-Louise messages on a dry-erase board during her rehabilitation.
"From that moment to where she is today, getting up and going to school," Pawlowski said, "it's truly remarkable."
Pawlowski said Mary-Louise has made a remarkable recovery since leaving the hospital and going back to school.
"For almost two years, she was with none of her peers or friends because she was in the hospital so much and almost kind of isolated," Pawlowski said. "She missed out on some time, but we're just so thankful that she is making great progress."
Pawlowski said the collective support from people, many of whom he and his family do not know personally, has helped them cope with Mary-Louise's illness.
"You realize there are so many good people out there that want to help and want to be part of it," Pawlowski said. "People around you can make a big difference."
Pawlowski said Mary-Louise was apprehensive at first about people knowing she had cancer.
"At first when it happened, Mary-Louise didn't want anybody to know," Pawlowksi said. "But then, the more she started talking about it, she realized that maybe her story could help somebody else. She realized that you can't run and hide."
Pawlowski said shortly after he and his family began wearing the "We R Praying 4 MLP" wristbands -- the proceeds of which benefit Mary-Louise's foundation -- many of their friends and acquaintances ordered them.
"Next thing you know, I was handing them out left and right," Pawlowski said. "It's just amazing people that come out."
Pawlowski said a lot of the Auburn baseball players wear the wristbands to show their support for Mary-Louise.
"The players have been so, so supportive," Pawlowski said. "When I got here, I told them the story of Mary-Louise, and they always ask. They're always a part of it."
Pawlowski said many of the players participated in a Strike Out Cancer 5K run sponsored by the Diamond Dolls last spring. All proceeds from the run went to the cancer center at the East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika.
"The reason we wanted to do the Strike Out Cancer run," said Megan Collins, vice president of Diamond Dolls, "was to show the Pawlowski family how much the Diamond Dolls and the entire Auburn community care about them and support them through such a difficult time."
Pawlowski said such encouraging gestures have renewed his family's faith in a better future for Mary-Louise.
"It's just good to know that people support it," Pawlowski said. "I know Mary-Louise and our family have forever been changed because of this."
Pawlowski has also contributed his time and energy to his daughter's cause. He said he ran a marathon last year and raised $10,000 in Mary-Louise's name.
Pawlowski said he also raised enough donations to buy a blanket warmer for the hospital Mary-Louise goes to for check-ups and treatments.
"(She) was always saying it was so cold in there," Pawlowski said. "Just little things that we can do to help because so many people have helped her."
Pawlowski said Mary-Louise's two sisters have been sources of constant love and support throughout her experience.
"They probably don't even realize they have played a major role in helping her," Pawlowski said. "They have kept her upbeat and going every day."
Pawlowski said he believes in the saying, "Life is a gift, not a guarantee."
Cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in children under the age of 15 in the U.S.
"We're very fortunate because the statistics are not great," Pawlowski said. "The doctors have all said that Mary-Louise is a miracle (because) she is still with us today."
Other members of the Auburn family who have dealt with cancer have not been as fortunate.
The swimming and diving teams have lost coaches Ralph Crocker and Richard Quick to cancer within the last two years.
"The (athletes) were already a family, but now they're even closer," said Katie Newton, a senior in nutrition and dietetics and president of Tiger Splashers. "The men went on to win the NCAAs. It's like they were doing it for Richard and Ralph."
Pawlowski said cancer has a chance to affect anybody and everybody, no matter who they are, what they do or where they live.
"Cancer has no boundaries," Pawlowski said. "It's devastating when you find out (and) it's devastating to the people around you."
Pawlowski said he has gone through a variety of emotions including anger and frustration, but he realized he needed to focus on how to cope with the situation instead of trying to understand why.
"It's not necessarily what happens to you or what the circumstances are; it's how you choose to react to it," Pawlowski said. "You've got to stand up and maybe provide some inspiration and hope for somebody else who is going through this."
That is precisely what Pawlowski and his family have done.
Pawlowski said Mary-Louise has not allowed cancer to put a damper on her plans.
"Children have an unparalleled desire to live and to just be children," Pawlowski said.
Pawlowski said Mary-Louise has come to Auburn for football games and had the chance recently to show off her full head of hair in a family friend's wedding.
"Mary-Louise has big dreams and aspirations," Pawlowski said. "She still goes back for her scans and check-ups, but she is progressing very well (and) enjoying life every day."
As for her father, Pawlowski said he tries to lead by example for his players on the baseball field.
"You're put in these situations, and you have to lead and set a good example," Pawlowski said. "I say that I'm a coach, but I also feel that coaches are teachers. (My) classroom is the baseball field."
Pawlowski said baseball has helped him appreciate simple things in life such as putting on a uniform and playing on a field with green grass and dirt.
"We're competing for a game, (but) people out there are competing for the game of life," Pawlowski said. "It's really kept things in perspective."
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