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GR Teen Returns to Tennis Court with Prosthetic Leg
Copyright © 2010 Fundoctor.org
Submitted by Aaron
GRAND RAPIDS -- Ashley reaches for the ball and strokes a strong forehanded shot, but when the tennis ball bounces off the tip of her racquet, she rolls her eyes.
Determined, she squares up for the next shot. Eyes on the ball. Ready.
Ashley, a Northview High School senior, will not be stopped. Nothing has stopped her yet. Not cancer. Not having her left leg amputated. Not playing with a prosthesis.
Think one missed shot during this spring's preseason practice at Riverview Athletic Club can stop her?
About 16 months after losing a limb above the knee, Ashley, who has been playing tennis since she could walk, is back on the courts for the Wildcats in an amazing testament to her faith and fortitude.
"I always wanted to come back and play, but I did not know if I would be able to," said Ashley, 18. "Tennis does mean a lot to me. I had to learn how to walk again, I had to learn how to do it differently. I am just really happy that I have been able to get back into tennis and everything else I love to do.”
"There is no way I would have made it through everything I did without my faith in God and without the prayers and support of so many people."
Today, one of her biggest problems is movement. Ashley admits it is tough to get to shots she used to reach easily. And it is frustrating to have to rely so much on her doubles partner.
But it isn't stopping her from winning.
Last weekend, Ashley teamed up with Emily, a junior, at third doubles. They went 3-0 to claim their flight championship at the Invitational on Friday. Then, in a four-team tourney on Saturday, they went 1-1.
And her problems today seem small compared to what she already has faced.
Ashley, the daughter of Jerry and Beth, discovered the mass in her left knee was cancerous during an early season tennis match in August 2006. She had been struggling with unexplained leg pain, but Ashley, a sophomore, was still competing on the varsity at No. 2 singles for the second consecutive season.
Chemotherapy began almost immediately. So did the worry about beating the osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer. By November 2006, the doctors recommended amputating the leg in order to stop the spread of cancer. Not an easy decision to reach.
Then the pain after surgery, coupled with the still-constant fear of recurrence, overwhelmed the family.
Ashley Hendrick moves toward the ball during a tennis practice.