Coach Fritz Spence
By Dynasty McGee
STATE COLLEGE, PA — From the outside looking in Coach Fritz Spence looks like the average collegiate coach. He is the Assistant Coach at Penn State and specializes in women’s jumps and multi-events. He goes to the track everyday with the intention of making his athletes better than they were the day before on and off the field. Anytime an athlete has a question or concern he is there to help them out and give them any advice they may need.
Spence has been coaching at Penn State for nine years and in February of 2008, Spence was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia. Leukemia is a type of blood cancer that begins in the bone marrow and causes the bone marrow to produce abnormal white blood cells. Spence immediately underwent chemo therapy treatment and on July 29th he received a bone marrow transplant from one of his brothers. He soon got better and was back to enjoying his everyday life.
“Going through cancer the first time made me realize how important and precious life is.”
This is something he never saw coming, but soon embraced it and beat it. Spence would have been cancer free for five years on July 29, 2013, but on the fourth of that month, he relapsed.
“This time was a little scary because it was my second time being diagnosed with cancer and the fatality rate is so much higher.”
He made up his mind yet again that he was going to beat cancer. “If I can do it once I can do it again.” He underwent chemo therapy again and his brother was his only match. They brought his brother up from the Bahamas and Spence is in remission today.
“Being diagnosed the second time made me realize even more how important life is, I try to live everyday as best as I can.”
Spence is grateful just to be able to wake up everyday feeling good, and not in the hospital bed that he once stayed in. Now he takes every moment that he can to spend time with his loved ones. To Spence, life has new meaning.
“Life is beautiful and I cherish it as long as I can everyday.”
If you would like to connect or be a blood marrow donor please visit https://secure2.convio.net/marrow/site/SPageServer?pagename=tbtm_home