GRAND RAPIDS, MI – A year ago, Gabe Augdahl didn’t feel like a “normal” teenager.
Augdahl, then a senior at West Catholic High School, had a rare tumor in his neck for which there was no cure, negatively impacting both his physical and mental health. Months of chemotherapy had lost his weight, he couldn’t run or play basketball like he used to, and he felt exhausted.
On the outside, he recalled, he walked around every day with a “false facade” so people would think he was okay. But deep down he was worried about his feelings.
“The mental aspect for me was huge and it was very tiring,” Augdahl told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press. “That was a huge burden on me.”
Now, almost a year after stopping chemotherapy, the 19-year-old’s mental health has improved considerably. Although there is still no cure for his tumor, Augdahl has learned to look on the bright side of his life and be grateful for each day.
“It’s really, really important to have a good mental state, to have a positive attitude, to have faith over fear and be happy with yourself no matter what,” he said.
Augdahl is now using her illness as a platform to advocate for mental health awareness and oncology research. The 19-year-old has a rare tumor in his neck called a desmoid tumor, which is diagnosed in only two to four in a million people each year.
The boy is scheduled to speak at a charity basketball game hosted by West Catholic High School in Grand Rapids on Friday, February 16th. The match is aimed at raising funds and awareness for desmoid tumor research, and the Augdahl family will be selling T-shirts. “Faith Over Fear” was written during the game. All proceeds will be donated to the Desmoid Tumor Research Foundation.
The men’s varsity game will begin at 6 p.m., and the women’s varsity game will be held at 7:30 p.m., 1801 Bristol Ave. NW. For those who cannot attend the game but would still like to support the cause, donations can be made to the Desmoid Tumor Research Foundation in honor of Gabe Augdahl. with this link.
West Catholic hosted a charity game for desmoid tumor research last year while Augdahl was still a player on the team, raising about $18,000.
Related: Basketball player’s rare diagnosis sparks team to dedicate game to tumor research
Augdahl said he will be speaking about oncology research at this year’s event, while also emphasizing the importance of mental health awareness. He said it’s important for people to speak up about their mental health and check in on others, whether the teen has a medical condition or not.
“As someone who has experienced a lot of mental health issues, I feel like mental health is so undervalued by people every day,” he told MLive. “We talk about how important it is and what you can do to help yourself.”
Desmoid tumors are benign and do not spread, but as they grow they run the risk of causing nerve damage or putting pressure on organs. When Augdahl’s tumor was first diagnosed three years ago, it was the size of a walnut, but it has since grown to the size of a softball.
Gabe’s father, Chris Augdahl, said doctors advised against removing the tumor because of the risk of it growing back and becoming malignant. They have tried several treatments to stop the tumor from growing, including a procedure called cryoablation, in which doctors freeze the tumor to death.
Fortunately, the tumor only grew outward from Gabe Augdahl’s neck, not inward, where it could potentially grow into his carotid artery, Chris Augdahl said.
Gabe’s mother, Sally Augdahl, said some days are harder than others for the family. As a parent, she said it was difficult for her to watch her son live with a tumor for which there was no cure.
“It’s really frustrating to know that he has to deal with this at 19 years old when nothing is going to solve this problem for him,” she said.
But Sally Augdahl said her son has shown incredible perseverance, accepting his situation and trying to live life to the fullest. He also spoke at a conference sponsored by the Desmoid Tumor Research Foundation this fall, speaking to doctors and patients about the importance of mental health awareness during treatment.
Gabe Augdahl, now a freshman at Central Michigan University, is playing recreational basketball again and has found great friends and a supportive community, he said. He said people rarely ask about the tumor on his neck when he walks around campus, which helps a lot.
“They treat me like I’m just a regular guy, and I am the same way,” he said.
“There’s always a little part of me that thinks, ‘You might look different,’ walking around with all this weight on your shoulders. But I put that in the back of my mind. I don’t think about anything, because what’s important to me is who I am as a person and how I feel about myself.”
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