Michigan infielder Kaylee America Rodriguez has been diagnosed with cancer.
A GoFundMe fundraiser was created on Tuesday to support Rodriguez; the fundraiser page said that an MRI last week found two tumors in the rising junior’s hip that were later found to be cancerous.
From the fundraiser page:
“Kaylee has impacted many by being the first girl on team Panama 12u, Four-Time All Miami Dade county first team, a six-time district Champion in Softball and 2-time district champion in soccer; in other words, a total beast. She succeeds in everything she does due to how decided and driven she is. Kaylee excelled and pushed hard, which granted her the opportunity to attend the University of Michigan.
“Kaylee has impacted the softball world but has left an even greater impact on the people around her as she is one of the best human beings I have ever come across. Kaylee has been a fantastic daughter and sister to her brothers Kassem and Keanu.
“Last year, her brother Keanu (17) was diagnosed with Burkitt’s Lymphoma and fought and beat it on October 27th, 2021. On September 7th, 2022, we got the results no one wants to get, especially a young collegiate athlete- an MRI depicting two tumors. Last year Kaylee complained of hip pain; for those who know Kaylee, pain or hurt isn’t a word in her vocabulary, nothing ever hurts. The news has struck everyone impacting coaches, teammates, friends, and family due to the recency of having Keanu beat cancer.”
A Miami native, Rodriguez spent the last two seasons on the Michigan roster, appearing in 69 games. She scored eleven runs as a freshman in 2021 and hit two career home runs.
To find and contribute to the GoFundMe fundraiser for Rodriguez and her family, which has raised more than $8000 in less than a day, click here.
