A little over two years ago, Teagan Nees—now a senior infielder at Sherrard (Milan, Ill.) High—was diagnosed with Stage 2 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (cancer).
She was forced to miss the first two years of her high school career as detailed in this video produced by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, but the athlete was almost always with her team at games and practices to cheer them on.
Also a member of the Heartland Havoc 05 travel ball team, Teagan had to endure 12 rounds of chemotherapy over a three month period, but the love and support of her family, friends, teammates and community helped her power through the process.
Eventually, however, it was happily announced that the cancer scare was behind her.
Officially in remission! Happy to say I beat Hodgkin’s Lymphoma a couple weeks ago! Thank you for all the thoughts & prayers! Now back to getting my strength back & doing what I love… 🥎🏀 pic.twitter.com/NfcBNkelmw
— Teagan (@Teagannees2023) July 1, 2021
Teagan eventually returned to the fields and, in an article released this week by TV 6 KWQC, she explained that preeminent on her mind was returning to the softball fields.
“The first thing I said when I was done with chemo was that I was going to live every day to the fullest, I told my mom actually one day sitting in the hospital that I felt like I was alive but I wasn’t living and I wanted to come back and feel like I was living,” said Teagan.
“I knew that I needed to come back to the player I was before the cancer hit me.”
She returned to play with her high school team as a junior and, by the end of that season, had met her own expectations and more as Teagan was selected as a 3rd Team All-State pick at the Class 2A level after batting .402 with a home run, six doubles, nine RBIs, 39 runs scored and 14 steals.
With her health concerns in the past, the Midwest high school athlete was able to get back to playing with her Havoc club team, too, and having impressive successes.
ONE YEAR in remission from battling Stage 2 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, time flies! I am 100% back to playing the game I love! God gets all the glory! @GoHavoc05 @Los_Stuff pic.twitter.com/39bheF3Daw
— Teagan (@Teagannees2023) June 24, 2022
Now that her high school softball career is over, Teagan has other big plans in the future: she will be attending Ole Miss with plans on being a Pediatric Oncologist, which will take her 12 years of study before she can officially work with children.
But, in light of her amazing journey overcoming cancer and returning to be named an All-State player, going through a dozen years of academic studies to become a doctor doesn’t seem too daunting of a task for the Class of 2023 inspiring athlete who wants to help battle cancer in children and teenagers.
“After you know going through that hard time it just changed my mindset a little bit. I said that I want to give back to that community in some way and becoming a pediatric oncologist is probably the best way that I can give back,” Teagan said in the KWQC article.
“Every opportunity, every chance that I get to go out and do something with my family or do something with my friends, I don’t take anything for granted anymore.”
— Brentt Eads, Extra Inning Softball
Note: as reference in the article above, Joey Dania of KWQC did an excellent video and written story this week on Teagan’s comeback after cancer… be sure to check it out by clicking on the Twitter link below:
Just months after beating cancer, Teagan Nees returned to softball and earned all-state honors. https://t.co/O5rWqG8uf0
— KWQC TV6 News (@kwqcnews) May 18, 2023
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