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Teen athlete facing cancer surgery with support of family, team

The Santa Fe New Mexican - 10/25/2020

Oct. 25--Just a few hours after watching his 15-year-old son undergo a pair of invasive lifesaving procedures, Ronnie Roybal stepped away from the boy's bedside to talk about the moment that upended their lives.

His youngest child, RC Roybal, a sophomore at St. Michael's High School and a rising star in basketball and baseball, recently was diagnosed with a rare form of sarcoma usually only seen in young patients ages 10 to 20. It's an aggressive type of cancer in which a tumor develops in tissue such as bones, muscles and nerves.

Scans revealed the cancerous mass growing in the boy's rib cage.

As Ronnie Roybal spoke at the Albuquerque hospital that day, he was flooded with emotion and uncertainty about what would come in the weeks and years ahead.

"Hearing the doctor say those words was like being in a bad dream or something, you know?" Roybal said, choking up as he recalled the family's initial visit to University of New Mexico Hospital two weeks ago. "I mean, I heard what was being said, but it felt like I wasn't really there, like no one was even breathing. It was like floating with nowhere to go. I wanted to say something, but the only thing that came out was, 'No, no, no, no, no.' "

The diagnosis also came as a shock to Jason Mossman, RC Roybal's coach with the Santa Fe Thunder club basketball team.

"It's so hard to imagine how all this works because here you have a kid who's healthy and running around just like everyone else, then this," Mossman said.

What started off as mild chest pains in August was first diagnosed as pneumonia. Ronnie Roybal said his son was prescribed antibiotics at an urgent care clinic and sent home. Within a few weeks, his breathing became more labored and the pain worsened.

A second trip to urgent care ended with the family going to see a specialist at UNM Hospital.

"At that point we knew it was pretty serious, but even then, you know, you're not really thinking about cancer," said Michael Roybal, RC's older brother.

The mass was detected early enough to leave plenty of hope, Michael Roybal said, and the process of chemotherapy has already begun.

On Oct. 15, RC Roybal had a chest port installed to deliver chemo straight to the source. That same day, his dad said, he underwent a biopsy to extract bone marrow from his hip.

"You know what?" Ronnie Roybal said outside his son's hospital room, "I'm standing out here and he's in there being strong for me. I know he's scared. I know he hurts. I'm going to be strong for him, but he's the one who's strong for everybody."

Therein lies the heart of RC Roybal.

By appearances, he's not unlike other teenagers. At 5-foot-11, he has a lean frame, weighing between 125 to 130 pounds.

He has a head full of wild hair, a wide smile and a class cut-up personality that is his window to the world. He's active, as most teens are, on Snapchat and other forms of social media. He even has a Facebook account -- rare for a 15-year-old -- and chooses to do most of his communicating through text and photos.

What sets him apart, Mossman said, are the tools he brings to the basketball court. A lefty, Roybal is a gifted athlete with a sweet jumper, undeniable ball skills and a confidence that is only overshadowed, perhaps, by his most alluring trait:

"He's tough; that's the thing you fall in love with about him," said David Rodriguez, the boys basketball coach at St. Michael's High, where Roybal was expected to contribute significant minutes to the varsity this season. "RC came to us a little rough around the edges, but he's understanding that it's not all talent that gets you where you want to go. I've watched him grow and I'm telling you, that toughness of his is going to carry him through this."

It's a big reason Mossman's Santa Fe Thunder had Roybal playing with older kids the past few years. The team competed in several out-of-state tournaments, including a prestigious Jr. NBA event in Texas where Roybal helped the Thunder reach the finals.

"It takes a lot for a younger kid to play up like that, but RC has the personality to handle that role," Mossman said. "Not all kids can do that."

Rodriguez said Roybal has worked hard this summer, showing up every day for individual workouts that were severely hampered by the state's health guidelines for the coronavirus.

"You learn a lot about a player if he's willing to drag himself into the gym every day knowing there are no games, no team workouts and it's just you working on individual drills on your own," Rodriguez said. "He was in there every day for a month and his attitude never changed. You notice things like that."

News of Roybal's illness spread slowly at first but gained momentum when Mossman posted a message about his diagnosis on the Thunder's Facebook page. Overnight, a flood of well-wishes and prayers were offered, and the page had garnered over 30,000 views.

Even Rodriguez's mother, a tough woman who has been fighting cancer for five years now, got involved.

"She called and asked me how to spell his name so she could get him on her prayer list," the coach said.

Mossman and Michael Roybal helped set up a GoFundMe account (RC's Army Against Sarcoma Cancer) that went live the morning of Oct. 16. Less than 24 hours later, it had generated more than $7,000 of the ultimate goal of at least $30,000. As of Saturday afternoon, the number had climbed to more than $10,800.

"I've always been a big believer in the power of prayer and positive thinking," Mossman said. "That's the kind of thing that does so much good in a time like this. No one in Ron's family was asking for money, but if you give people the chance, the idea of sending a strong message through prayer and support goes such a long way."

In the meantime, RC Roybal is hoping to settle back into a school routine sooner rather than later. St. Michael's was scheduled to open its campus on a hybrid model Oct. 19, allowing students into classrooms part time, but the recent surge in COVID-19 cases will keep learning online through at least November.

A social kid who thrives on being a part of whatever action he can find, RC Roybal spends most of his time in the hospital texting anyone and everyone on his contact list. With only one visitor allowed into his room at a time, it's the world of social media that keeps him plowing ahead.

"God, I wish I was that strong myself," Ronnie Roybal said. "I fall apart now and again, and so does he.

"I just wish I could be sitting in the stands again, watching him play and run around. It brings me so much happiness, you know? His talent, it's like nothing I've ever seen. What dad wouldn't think that about their son?"

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