Waking up early, working through the school day, then staying late for football practice, Drew Wagner, sophomore, leads the life of an average high school student. He stresses over grades and hangs out with friends on the weekends. However, over the course of the past year, Drew’s everyday priorities shifted dramatically.

On Feb. 3, 2015, Drew was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. “My initial reaction was just disbelief,” he said, “I thought for sure that I didn’t have it and that they just did the tests wrong.”

Affecting about 9,050 individuals a year, Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a cancer that attacks the immune system through the lymphatic system. In the lymphatic system, cells “grow abnormally” and can travel to other internal systems, compromising the body’s ability to fight infection, according to the American Cancer Society and Mayo Clinic.

His freshman year concluded with six months of chemotherapy, followed by a month of radiation. Enduring dozens of hours in the hospital every week, Drew was exhausted. “Every week after chemotherapy I had no energy to do anything so I rarely got out of bed,” he said.

Despite the toll, his sister, Kelsey Wagner, Class of ‘15, said, “He stayed his happy, goofy self.”

Now cancer-free, Drew has returned to his daily routine. “I’m finally done with my therapy,” he said with relief. Despite having to go through follow-up testing every so often, everyday life is back to sports practice, friends and family. “We could not have gotten through treatment without the support of our community,” K. Wagner said.

“One thing I would tell another person going through the same circumstance [is] that the best thing to do is to stay in touch with your friends as much as possible,” D. Wagner said. His close group of friends made a huge difference in his journey, helping him through the high points and the low points.

Hoping to set a positive example, Drew wants to be a role model to anyone facing the same challenge, especially others his own age. “You can always count on Drew to cheer you up, listen to your problems, and give pretty good advice. He truly is one of the most caring and compassionate people you you will ever meet,” K. Wagner said.  

Through adversity, determination and positive thinking, Drew has not only proved himself as a hero to the students of Homestead, but also to countless teens across the world who fight similar battles every day.

Gallery • 6 Photos

Submitted Photo

Drew pauses for a picture with Kelsey after the Homecoming game.