Spring is a great time for youth softball players. There is unlimited optimism as they crawl out from their winter hibernation. There is excitement as to what the new long season may bring in terms of success on the field, and an eagerness to take to the field. Rachel Donaldson experienced this annual rebirth, and each year rejoiced in the fact that she was once again back on the field and playing her favorite game with her friends.

But as fate would have it, Rachel no longer has an opportunity to experience this feeling, and she is saddened at the realization that she will never be able to play her game again. She still has the opportunity to see her friends play, and even spent last year with her teammates, helping with drills and doing anything she was capable of to make them better and more prepared to play. But being so close, yet so far from the field was a painful experience.

Like most players, Rachel started this annual spring ritual at a very young age, playing in the local 10 and under recreation league, the San Marcos Girls Softball League. Besides enjoying the game, Rachel became very good and made her league All-Star Team, giving her a taste of “championship” softball and the competitive side of the game she loved to play. She really enjoyed this competitive brand of softball and excelled at it, so naturally it wasn’t long before travel ball was calling and Rachel answered the call.

Her first travel ball team was the So Cal Heat, where she played at the 12 and under and 14 and under age divisions. While the team was not among the upper crust of elite travel ball teams in S. Calif., playing against those teams sparked a competitive spirit in her, causing her to push herself to become better. She excelled at these age divisions and was soon playing 16 and under for Orange County Athletics. Her on-going pursuit of improvement paid dividends, and playing on the Athletics she was soon being recruited by 18 and under Gold teams. So it was that Rachel began playing 18 and under for Cal Lite in S. Calif., participating in the major tournaments, and again excelling.

Due to this success, she soon found herself playing for the Anaheim Batbusters, one of the better 18 and Under Gold teams in the country. Her team played in two Gold Nationals, finishing ninth in 2002. And it wasn’t long before Rachel’s dedication, hard work and athletic ability caught the eye of college coaches. While a few colleges communicated an interest in having Rachel attend their school, it only took one trip to Fresno State and a meeting with Coach Margie Wright for her to realize that the Bulldogs were a perfect fit for her.

In the spring of 2004, Rachel once again began preparation for the upcoming softball season, but this time as a member of a nationally ranked college team. As the season wore on, she began to experience pain in the back of her left leg, just below the knee. She just considered it a part of playing or practicing every day, and tried to perform through the pain. While normal stem treatments did little to alleviate pain, she played on during her Freshman season and again distinguished herself, as she was named to the All Western Athletic Conference Second Team.

A year later Rachel once again found herself preparing for the upcoming softball season, and the Bulldogs were favorites to win their conference and make some noise in the NCAA tournament. The pain in her leg never did go away, and during her pre-season physical a lump was found in her left leg, in the area where the pain was concentrated. An MRI revealed a tumor that was diagnosed as benign. There was no treatment, so she continued to play in pain. The team did all they could to reduce her pain, making adjustments to her uniforms and socks in an effort to lessen the pressure on her leg.

Rachel’s sophomore season was even better than her freshman year, as she hit .281, smashed 5 homeruns and knocked in 30 runs. The Bulldogs had a great season and advanced to NCAA Regionals. They made it undefeated into the Championship game against California. Fresno was in a great position to make the College World Series, needing to take just one of two games from the Golden Bears to punch their ticket to Oklahoma City. But during the championship game, Rachel was struck by a pitch directly on the tumor in her leg.

It was the greatest pain she had ever felt, but Rachel was in the biggest game of her life, and she refused to leave the game. Fresno lost that game 3-1 and shortly there after, lost the “if” game 1-0 to dash their National Championship dreams. Rachel played every inning of both games, despite the intense pain. Because of the continuing pain, an appointment was made with a specialist who found that the tumor had almost tripled in size. An oncologist was consulted and Rachel’s tumor was diagnosed as stage IV soft-tissue sarcoma, cancer.
Due to the advanced stage of disease, her doctors immediately began a very aggressive plan of treatment. Over time Rachel realized that dealing with this was much more difficult than preparing for any softball season. Her medical team informed her that not only was there a possibility that her leg may need to be amputated, but the cancer could take her life. During the early stages of her treatment, Fresno was starting to gear up for the 2006 season. Rachel remained at school in Fresno as her treatment was taking place in San Francisco, a greater distance from her Southern California home.

Although she couldn’t play, Rachel attended the Bulldog practices and workouts, helping out as much as she could. Again, this was the time of year she loved the most, preparing for yet another softball season. And being with her teammates, her “family” helped her deal with the unknown that lay ahead in fighting her disease. But it was also the hardest thing emotionally for her, being around the team knowing she would never play again, not even knowing if she would live through the upcoming season. Additional tests found that the cancer had invaded her bones, infecting them.

March 6, 2006 was Rachel’s 21st birthday. It was also the day that she underwent over six hours of surgery. It was an intensive operation, involving replacement of her knee, removal of portions of her tibia and fibula and reconstruction of the muscles around the new knee. Just over two months later, she was back at the hospital receiving an extensive round of chemotherapy as well as a bone marrow transplant. In less than a month, she had recovered and was discharged. She went home to begin physical therapy.

Flash forward to February 2007, Rachel will have a life time of physical therapy, and requires a check up every three months. But so far she has remained cancer free. She was in attendance at the Palm Springs Classic College softball tournament, to cheer on Fresno State. She states that it is difficult to watch the Bulldogs games, especially this year, the year that she would have been a senior. But at the same time it’s a good thing as well; being around her teammates and experiencing their successes and failures from afar.

She’s back at school, attending Cal State San Marcos, closer to home. She has switched majors, and is now hoping to become a nurse. Her experience fighting cancer helped her in making this career decision. Always the team player, Rachel just wants everyone in Fresno, especially her teammates, to know how much she appreciates all of the support they provided and how much she misses them, how much she misses her family. Looking into her eyes, you can see the pain she bears knowing she will never again play the game she loved so much, as well as the satisfaction that comes from being a winner in the game of life.