Mustang Spotlight: Brooklyn Burns – Battling & Beating Cancer
9/21/2022 11:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Story by: Kalee Graff, Cal Poly Athletics Communications Intern
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif.- Brooklyn Burns is a freshman setter from Del Mar, Calif. on the Cal Poly Volleyball team. Burns had been on the road to playing division one volleyball since she was seven years old; but like any normal road, there were some bumps along the way. A big bump for her was being diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma.
"I didn't process what was happening until a couple weeks after the diagnosis because it happened so fast," Burns said.
Hodgkin Lymphoma is a type of cancer that attacks the Lymphatic System which is a part of the body's immune system.
On Feb. 3, 2022, Burns started having back pain, but thought it was from a bad night's sleep. The following day, she realized it progressed to chest pain. "I googled the symptoms with my mom because we thought it was anxiety," she shared.
By 2 p.m. the next day, she knew her body was telling her to go to Urgent Care. She got an X-ray which found a shadow in her chest. A CT scan revealed that the shadow was a mass of swollen lymph nodes.
"They believed it was Hodgkin Lymphoma from the beginning, but since there was no family history, they wanted to rule out everything."
Ruling out everything meant she would spend the next eleven days in the hospital. Her official diagnosis was stage 2 Hodgkin Lymphoma. "I tried to have a positive mindset. I knew the worst-case scenario and I wanted to prepare for that, but I wanted a positive outlook for my family and friends."
After coming to terms with the diagnosis, she quickly realized how her life was about to change. "It was my senior year and my last club season which was everything to me."
Her treatment plan was to endure two rounds of chemotherapy where one round would be two weeks on and two weeks off. "I am not very good at sitting, so it was hard to figure out that part," Burns stated.
Volleyball and her club teammates were the best kind of support during her chemotherapy. "Volleyball was my only socialization for a couple months so going to practice kept me very motivated."
While this was as close to living the life she once knew, Brooklyn and her teammates had to wear masks when together and she sat in a room by herself to watch since her immune system was compromised. However, she did not let that ruin her time. "Getting to see all of my teammates was the best part of my whole week."
While it was tough for her to take a step back from being a normal high school senior, all her friends and family took a step forward. "The support I received I cannot put into words. Even people I didn't know were reaching out to me on Instagram."
The two people she was nervous to share her diagnosis with were her current Cal Poly coaches Caroline Walters and Jason Borchin. She thought that because they recruited a healthy athletic volleyball player and she did not want to let them down.
"I quickly learned that they did not care about only the volleyball part of me, but my health was important as well and that helped me out a lot. The conversation I had with them made everything feel a lot more worth it because I wanted to show people that I could do it."
The support from Cal Poly volleyball extended past her future coaches to her future teammates. The day she finished her second round of chemo, she went onto Instagram to find a post of the Cal Poly volleyball team wearing matching shirts with the caption mentioning her strength and resilience. "I sat there for ten minutes in shock because it reassured me that this is where I am meant to be. We still wear those shirts at practice now that I am here."
On April 26th, 2022, Brooklyn rang the bell that signified she had kicked cancer's butt. Even though she knew that it would be an adjustment getting back to a normal reality, she was ecstatic to touch a volleyball again.
After trying to regain her lost muscle memory, her club coach allowed her to create a memory that not even cancer could take away.
"During the Junior Olympics, my coach had me serve the first point of the first game in the tournament and none of my teammates knew that was going to happen. Our court was filled with college coaches, spectators, and even USA Volleyball filmed it. It was awesome."
After that moment she focused on herself and did not train with other people. Her first competitive atmosphere appearance was in July with Cal Poly. "It was really tiring, but it's fun to be back and fun to compete."
Even though Brooklyn never would have imagined having to take a break from volleyball to endure chemotherapy, she would not want it any other way. "I wouldn't trade the experience because the learning that came from the experience has changed my perspective on life and not a lot of people get that at my age."
Burns hopes to make an immediate impact on the Cal Poly volleyball team any way she can. "I want to be the best in whatever role I am given so if that is being someone off the court or on the court, I will be ready in game and in practices. I am so grateful to get the opportunity to play college volleyball."
"Before all of this I used to worry about things that now do not matter to me at all. I would dwell on bad practices all the time. As cliché as it sounds just enjoy the moments that you get, and I wish I did it more."
Catch Brooklyn and the Cal Poly Volleyball team in the home opener this Friday, September 23rd at 7:00 p.m. in Mott Athletics Center.
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif.- Brooklyn Burns is a freshman setter from Del Mar, Calif. on the Cal Poly Volleyball team. Burns had been on the road to playing division one volleyball since she was seven years old; but like any normal road, there were some bumps along the way. A big bump for her was being diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma.
"I didn't process what was happening until a couple weeks after the diagnosis because it happened so fast," Burns said.
Hodgkin Lymphoma is a type of cancer that attacks the Lymphatic System which is a part of the body's immune system.
On Feb. 3, 2022, Burns started having back pain, but thought it was from a bad night's sleep. The following day, she realized it progressed to chest pain. "I googled the symptoms with my mom because we thought it was anxiety," she shared.
By 2 p.m. the next day, she knew her body was telling her to go to Urgent Care. She got an X-ray which found a shadow in her chest. A CT scan revealed that the shadow was a mass of swollen lymph nodes.
"They believed it was Hodgkin Lymphoma from the beginning, but since there was no family history, they wanted to rule out everything."
Ruling out everything meant she would spend the next eleven days in the hospital. Her official diagnosis was stage 2 Hodgkin Lymphoma. "I tried to have a positive mindset. I knew the worst-case scenario and I wanted to prepare for that, but I wanted a positive outlook for my family and friends."
After coming to terms with the diagnosis, she quickly realized how her life was about to change. "It was my senior year and my last club season which was everything to me."
Her treatment plan was to endure two rounds of chemotherapy where one round would be two weeks on and two weeks off. "I am not very good at sitting, so it was hard to figure out that part," Burns stated.
Volleyball and her club teammates were the best kind of support during her chemotherapy. "Volleyball was my only socialization for a couple months so going to practice kept me very motivated."While this was as close to living the life she once knew, Brooklyn and her teammates had to wear masks when together and she sat in a room by herself to watch since her immune system was compromised. However, she did not let that ruin her time. "Getting to see all of my teammates was the best part of my whole week."
While it was tough for her to take a step back from being a normal high school senior, all her friends and family took a step forward. "The support I received I cannot put into words. Even people I didn't know were reaching out to me on Instagram."
The two people she was nervous to share her diagnosis with were her current Cal Poly coaches Caroline Walters and Jason Borchin. She thought that because they recruited a healthy athletic volleyball player and she did not want to let them down.
"I quickly learned that they did not care about only the volleyball part of me, but my health was important as well and that helped me out a lot. The conversation I had with them made everything feel a lot more worth it because I wanted to show people that I could do it."
The support from Cal Poly volleyball extended past her future coaches to her future teammates. The day she finished her second round of chemo, she went onto Instagram to find a post of the Cal Poly volleyball team wearing matching shirts with the caption mentioning her strength and resilience. "I sat there for ten minutes in shock because it reassured me that this is where I am meant to be. We still wear those shirts at practice now that I am here."
On April 26th, 2022, Brooklyn rang the bell that signified she had kicked cancer's butt. Even though she knew that it would be an adjustment getting back to a normal reality, she was ecstatic to touch a volleyball again.
After trying to regain her lost muscle memory, her club coach allowed her to create a memory that not even cancer could take away.
"During the Junior Olympics, my coach had me serve the first point of the first game in the tournament and none of my teammates knew that was going to happen. Our court was filled with college coaches, spectators, and even USA Volleyball filmed it. It was awesome."
After that moment she focused on herself and did not train with other people. Her first competitive atmosphere appearance was in July with Cal Poly. "It was really tiring, but it's fun to be back and fun to compete."
Even though Brooklyn never would have imagined having to take a break from volleyball to endure chemotherapy, she would not want it any other way. "I wouldn't trade the experience because the learning that came from the experience has changed my perspective on life and not a lot of people get that at my age."
Burns hopes to make an immediate impact on the Cal Poly volleyball team any way she can. "I want to be the best in whatever role I am given so if that is being someone off the court or on the court, I will be ready in game and in practices. I am so grateful to get the opportunity to play college volleyball."
"Before all of this I used to worry about things that now do not matter to me at all. I would dwell on bad practices all the time. As cliché as it sounds just enjoy the moments that you get, and I wish I did it more."
Catch Brooklyn and the Cal Poly Volleyball team in the home opener this Friday, September 23rd at 7:00 p.m. in Mott Athletics Center.
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