Sophia Lowery finished her volleyball practice on August 11, sat down on the gym floor, and began to cry.
Volleyball was the last thing on the Eastside junior’s mind that day.
Just a few miles away, Sophia’s mother, Lisa, was in surgery — the final surgery before doctors hoped her breast cancer would dissipate for good.
“She started her surgery at 7 a.m., and she’s probably just about finished with it now,” said Sophia. “I’m actually about to call and see if there are any updates.”
It’s been a long few years for Sophia and Lisa. Lisa was diagnosed with breast cancer for the first time just under three years ago. She’s been through numerous surgeries and 16 rounds of chemotherapy treatment.
Sophia, through it all, is not the same person she used to be. After seeing her mother wake up every day, forced to fight, there was no chance it wouldn’t change her.
“Honestly, I think it’s helped me to be more mature. It’s been really hard to keep it all together sometimes,” said Sophia. “But one thing is that it’s helped me see different perspectives. It’s shown me that you really never know what someone could be going through.
“Nobody really knows how much we’ve gone through as a family, so I know other people could be hurting but never show it, too.”
No one on the planet knows Sophia better than her mother, and vice versa. Sophia beams with pride when asked to describe Lisa.
A tinge of sadness mixes in when she thinks about how breast cancer has affected her mother.
“She’s a single mom of two, so she works so hard to take care of us,” said Sophia. “Before she had her chemotherapy, she used to wear different color eyelashes — blue, purple — and I think that matched how bright a person she is.
“But ever since the breast cancer hit, she’d look at herself in the mirror and didn't see herself the same. She didn’t have the hair to style or the eyelashes to get done… I know that hurts her to see. Because she’s always been so bright. She makes me brighter, too.”
Those within Eastside’s volleyball program agree. Sophia, who is an all-region star for the Lady Eagles for the Lady Eagles, is still twice the person she is player. She's a ray of light.
“Sophia, despite everything she’s going through, still manages to be bubbly,” said head coach Kady Cellamare. “She’s like our team hype man, always speaking life into her teammates. Incredible kid and incredible athlete.”
When Lisa began chemotherapy years ago, her life flipped on its head. She was advised to avoid crowded places — a typical precaution for those undergoing treatment. But Sophia was a freshman then, and she’d just made the varsity volleyball team at Eastside.
The thought of missing her daughter’s games tore Lisa up inside. So, she did what she had to.
“My mom, that first season, she found a spot in the very top corner of the bleachers in the gym,” said Sophia. “She sat up there all by herself and watched my games. She had her facemask on and everything to protect her immune system. She just didn’t want to miss seeing me play.”
More than just a mother, Sophia describes her mother as her “best friend” and someone who was always there to lean on growing up. Now, Sophia’s returned the favor. Lisa doesn’t like for anyone to know she’s hurting. But Sophia knows. Sophia’s seen her mother’s pain up close for the last three years.
She just wants it to get better.
“It’s hard because I feel like a lot of people don’t really understand,” said Sophia. “I’ll talk to my grandmother about it, but other than that, I don’t really talk to many people about everything that’s going on. It’s just hard to understand unless you’ve been through it… I love my mom so much.”
After finishing practice, Sophia finally picked up her cell phone and called up to the hospital.
She was met with incredible news.
The surgery was successful.
God willing, Lisa would spend the next 10-11 weeks recovering and healing from a three-year bout with breast cancer.
That’s when it all came out. On the hardwood of the gym floor, sitting next to Cellamare, Sophia succumbed to tears.
Like the weight of a thousand bricks being lifted from her shoulders, she had no idea how to react to the newfound semblance of slight relief she was feeling. So, she let it all out.
And who could blame her?
“It’s hard because you don’t want to show people you’re hurting,” said Sophia. “But that’s what all of this has been, so much hurting. It’s easy to not understand what people are going through, or if someone is having a bad day. But now, I really try to be that person who understands and listens.
“I feel like my mom is a great role model for me, a hero, having gone through her situation. She’s tried her hardest never to show anyone she’s hurting. She’s always been so strong for us.”
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