ESPN Article On The Guys Shaving Their Heads For Joseph Sanders' Mom

[AUChizad]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/columns/story?columnist=schlabach_mark&id=3311873

Clean-shaven Tigers show support for teammate's family on, off the diamond
Schlabach

By Mark Schlabach
ESPN.com

Updated: March 25, 2008

AUBURN, Ala. -- Auburn baseball coach Tom Slater knows all too well about the pain and agony cancer can bring to a family.

Slater's mother, Kathy Slater, fought a rare form of blood cancer for more than a decade. She died at the age of 48 in 1994.


Joseph Sanders' teammates showed their support by shaving their heads.

More than anything else, Slater remembers his mother's anguish in losing her hair from the effects of chemotherapy.

"Honestly, I remember when my mother went through chemo, how traumatic it is for a woman -- or anyone, really -- to lose their hair," Slater said. "It changes your body. It's very traumatic for a woman."

So when the mother of one of Slater's players was diagnosed with breast cancer in early December, Slater wanted her to know she wasn't fighting the disease alone. Before the mother of sophomore infielder Joseph Sanders started chemotherapy treatments nearly two months ago, Slater asked his players to shave their heads as a sign of solidarity.

On Feb. 1, the day Barbara Sanders received her first cocktail of potent drugs to fight the disease, she arrived at Plainsman Park and was presented with a large, framed photograph of the clean-shaven Tigers.

"It was just something to let her know that there were some guys behind her," Slater said. "Having been through the experience of it, you just want to do anything you can to show your support."

What began as a gesture of support for Sanders' mother has grown. Slater sent the photograph to College of Charleston baseball coach John Pawlowski, whose 13-year-old daughter, Mary Louise, is fighting cancer. Auburn is also selling the photograph on its athletic department Web site to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

"It just meant a whole lot because I didn't know they'd done it," Barbara Sanders said. "Like they say, that picture is worth 1,000 words."

Barbara Sanders has always been her son's biggest fan. She spent 25 years in the Air Force and was stationed for a time in Saudi Arabia. The family moved to Millbrook, Ala., more than a decade ago, and Joseph became an Auburn fan. His sister, Beth, is a student at the University of Alabama. Two older brothers are in the Air Force and an older sister lives in Omaha, Neb.

"She's a great woman," said catcher Ryan Jenkins, who was Joseph Sanders' teammate at Stanhope Elmore High in Millbrook. "She's always trying to help somebody."

So much so that when Barbara Sanders was diagnosed with cancer on Dec. 5, about a month after she discovered a lump in her breast, she didn't want her children to know immediately. She was worried about Joseph and Beth finishing their final exams.

Barbara Sanders told her children she had cancer when they returned home for Christmas break.

"He was kind of quiet about it," said pitcher Evan Crawford, who is Joseph Sanders' roommate at Auburn. "It was kind of hard bringing it up, but we talked about it."

Slater, who is in his fourth season as Auburn's coach, wanted Sanders to know he'd be there for him whenever advice and counseling were needed.

"I shared with him some of my experiences," Slater said. "I was very much the same age when my mother fought it. I remember being his age in college when she was going through chemo. I just shared some of the experiences that could help him help her."

Sanders, the Tigers' starting third baseman, was hitting .309 with one homer and 21 RBIs through the team's first 23 games.

"He's been great," Slater said. "Obviously, you tell him you're here for him as his coach. I've probably been a little aggressive with him. I've tried to coach him to know what his mom is going through. I want to guide him through it, letting him know what she's going to go through and this is how you can help her. I wanted him to know how physically and emotionally draining chemotherapy will be."

Barbara Sanders underwent a partial mastectomy and is receiving chemotherapy treatments every other Friday through May. She lost her hair shortly after beginning chemotherapy. Once the chemotherapy ends, she faces radiation treatment five days a week for seven weeks. Oddly enough, her treatments are scheduled to end July 4.

"It's Independence Day," said Jack Sanders, her husband.

Barbara Sanders said doctors have told her the worst of the treatments are over. She finally had enough strength to travel to the family's cabin in the northern Alabama mountains this week.

"I have a much better chance because I caught it so early," she said. "I'm going to have bad days, but I'm going to beat it."

She has been able to attend only a few of the Tigers' home games this season. Early in the season, she was unable to attend night games because of cold temperatures. Now, she has to worry about the heat. In the past, she attended every one of her son's games.

"She's always been to every game," Joseph Sanders said. "This is the first time she hasn't been able to come to my games. It's really eating at her, but I'd much rather have her at home. She still listens to all of our games on the radio. I know she wants to be here."

Wherever Barbara Sanders goes, the Tigers are seemingly with her. She has the large, framed photograph hanging in her office at Gunter Air Force Base in Montgomery, Ala. A copy of the photograph even hangs in the nurse's office in the hospital where Sanders receives her chemotherapy.

"That photograph is the first thing I see when I walk into my office," Sanders said. "It makes me happy."

The Tigers (14-9, 2-4 SEC) are honoring her in other ways. Many of the players are wearing pink bracelets and pink ribbons to help raise awareness for breast cancer.

"It's been amazing how this team has come together," Jack Sanders said. "Those guys are wearing pink bracelets and pink ribbons. These are macho guys. To see them do those things is awe-inspiring."

As a mother, Barbara Sanders said the most important thing Auburn has done is support her son.

"To those players, they probably just felt like they were shaving their heads," Sanders said. "In my mind, they showed they were thinking about me. But they were also supporting Joseph, which is what meant the most to me."

[Jumbo]

Nice job, The more shaved heads the better.

[El Guapo]

I always like seeing things like this. If you saw the article I posted about Victor Ellis, I mentioned a friend that had her brother die from cancer... well when he got it the second time, she shaved her head, was a student at UA at the time, and I couldn't imagine how hard that would be for a woman, much less a man. But a small thing like that can show more than you could ever say.