MACON, Ga. — There's nothing more difficult for an athlete than having to sit out on the sideline.
Sophomore Aliyah Waldon, a Mercer University volleyball player, knows that feeling better than anyone. She's forced to sit out this season, but there is nothing more she wants to do than be back on the court.
A few months after her freshman season with the Bears, Waldon said she felt minor hip pain that eventually became unbearable. After school trainers encouraged Waldon to get an MRI, doctors found it was more than a minor injury.
Doctors diagnosed Waldon with osteosarcoma, a rare but aggressive bone cancer found in her femur; she said they found a six inch tumor. According to Moffitt Cancer Center, it's typically diagnosed in teens and young adults. Waldon said she's had her share of injuries from the sport so wasn't expecting to hear she has cancer.
"I was definitely shocked because I was just looking for a tear," Waldon said.
Waldon, an outside hitter, said her volleyball career took off sometime in middle school back in her home state of Florida. She still remembers marching up to her eventual head coach back in the day and demanding playing time.
"I literally just walked in and I was like, 'hey, I wanna play,' and my coach was like, 'ok,' so I've been on that same team ever since I left for college," Waldon said.
While she still hates to be on the sideline, she noted how thankful she is for her athletic trainer, Katie Feller, who recommended Waldon get an x-ray. Feller said it's important to listen to athletes, never letting a sign or symptom go unnoticed.
"You can't sleep on certain information; If you have a gut instinct, you need to make sure that it's checked out," Feller said.
Waldon is home in Florida undergoing treatment. After her scheduled surgery, she'll complete more treatments along with physical therapy, with the focus of getting back on the court with her teammates, once she's cancer free. She even had a chance to stop by Hawkins Arena to cheer on her fellow Bears on Friday and Saturday.
While Waldon can't take the court herself, her teammates have found a way to keep her with them at all times.
Now, as Mercer's volleyball athletes warm-up before a game, they're wearing the same number on their backs, in the same color, with the same message. The front of their shirts say "fight" with a yellow ribbon in place of the letter "I," an initiative began by their head coach Chad Sutton.
"I love getting to show off my girl and I have a little yellow ribbon on my foot too," Mercer sophomore, Bella Wynja said. "Every time that like every time I'm playing, she's with me."
Even the Mercer soccer team has shown support for Waldon with supportive t-shirts during their warm-ups.
While her teammates and fellow Mercer students carry inspirational symbols in their teammates honor, Waldon carries her own. She has a tattoo on her arm in honor of one of her aunts who beat breast cancer. It says "focus on the good" in her aunt's handwriting, which serves a positive reminder for Waldon.
As Waldon continues her fight, she looks to keep a positive outlook. She said though every moment isn't easy, she tries to keep her spirits high so her comeback can be stronger. The psychology major noted that she hopes to help others find a similar positive mindset one day.
"I think it helps knowing that once I'm done with like all of my chemo and stuff that, I'm not gonna have to deal with it again," Waldon said. So it seems like a big deal, but in reality it's only like seven months of my life."
To support Waldon on her road to recovery, there's a GoFundMe page set up to help raise fund for her treatments.