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College basketball

Basketball Player Battles Stage 4 Stomach Cancer with Hope and Resilience

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Justin Hardy, a 22-year-old basketball player at Washington University, has been a source of inspiration for his family, teammates, and coaches as he continues to play in every game this season despite being diagnosed with stage 4 stomach cancer last spring. Hardy's remarkable journey has taken him through a 10-month battle with the disease, including chemotherapy treatments, surgery, and a return to the basketball court, where he averages 24 minutes a game, 11.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists for the No. 4-ranked team in Division III.

Key Takeaways:

  • Hardy, a 6-foot-5 forward, was diagnosed with stage 4 stomach cancer at the age of 22, which is unusually rare for someone of his age.
  • He has undergone aggressive chemotherapy treatments, including a regimen of 1½ hours of medication to fight nausea and other side effects, followed by three chemotherapies that take from one to three hours each, and finally, a device that pumps a treatment into his body for 24 hours.
  • Hardy has shown remarkable resilience and determination, saying, "I don't think I can be content and accept that this is happening. But it doesn't consume my thoughts negatively like it did initially. At some point I had to come to terms. This is my life now and one day it changed forever. If I want to live life, I have to choose to put my best foot forward and attack it with a positive mentality."
  • Hardy has continued to play basketball, trying to normalize life as much as possible, and is currently on a trip with the Bears, who won their first game without him and are set to play at Rochester, N.Y. on Sunday.
  • His family is supportive, with his mother, Karen, saying, "I observe him, and he looks a lot like his old self. I'm in awe of him. It's like he's made of a different fabric."
  • Dr. Haeseong Park, a Washington University oncologist at Siteman Cancer Center, says, "Hes tolerating the treatments really well, and that allows us to give him more treatment. Its pretty amazing hes still playing through all of this."
  • Hardy's tumor is undergoing genomic testing to determine if a treatment more specific to his cancer might be helpful, and he is also considering the possibility of another surgery for the injection of medication to the spot of the cancer.

Statistics:

  • Hardy has averaged 24 minutes a game, 11.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists for the No. 4-ranked team in Division III.
  • He has undergone 10 months of treatment for stage 4 stomach cancer, including chemotherapy, surgery, and a return to the basketball court.
  • Hardy's tumor is undergoing genomic testing to determine if a treatment more specific to his cancer might be helpful.
  • Hardy has shown remarkable resilience and determination, saying, "I don't think I can be content and accept that this is happening. But it doesn't consume my thoughts negatively like it did initially."

Sources:

  • [St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 9, 2022, Justin Hardy was able to graduate early in December from Washington University despite dealing with treatment for stage four stomach cancer.]
  • [St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 9, 2022, CAPTION(S): Justin Hardy is Washington University's second-leading scorer this season while playing with stage 4 stomach cancer. Photo by Alex Rubin, Washington University]
  • [St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 9, 2022, Justin Hardy was able to graduate early in December from Washington University despite dealing with treatment for stage four stomach cancer. Photo courtesy Hardy family]

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