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Washington University women's basketball team finds inspiration from 7-year-old girl fighting cancer

The team said although Chloe initially joined the program to receive support and encouragement, it's Chloe who has inspired them.

ST. LOUIS — Most four-year-old kids don't have a worry in the world outside of playing, and gearing up for their first years of school.  It was different for Chloe Bell. When she was four years old, she began experiencing extreme pains and aches in her body. 

At first, doctors believed the pain to be caused by arthritis. But after months of tests and examinations, Bell was diagnosed with stage four neuroblastoma.

Neuroblastoma is a form of cancer that develops from immature nerve cells found in several areas of the body. 

Chloe's cancer was in her bone and bone marrow. She also had multiple tumors, including one that pressed on her spine, which prevented her from being mobile. 

"She was pretty much immobile by the time we got to the hospital," Chloe's mother, Mia Bell said.

She went through a minimum of a year's worth of therapy to re-learn how to walk. 

From June of 2017 to September of 2018, Chloe spent all of her time either in the hospital or confined in her home as she underwent countless surgeries, radiation therapy treatments and chemotherapy treatments. 

Chloe wasn't allowed to be physically active, socialize with other children or attend school. By 2019, Chloe was able to enroll in a kindergarten class. Things didn't quite go as planned as she missed a large chunk of the school year battling illnesses and multiple cases of pneumonia. 

Chloe is now seven years old. A couple of months ago, her doctors cleared her to begin engaging in low activity environments. Mia immediately began researching opportunities to where Chloe could socialize and be active, without it causing too much physical stress on her body. 

That's when Mia came across "Team IMPACT" online.Team IMPACT connects children battling serious or chronic illnesses with college athletic teams, forming lifelong bonds and life-changing outcomes.

Mia jumped on the opportunity to sign Chloe up for the program.

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Weeks later Chloe was assigned to partner with the Washington University women's basketball team in St. Louis. 

The women's team hosted a "draft party," for Chloe and quickly adopted her into the team's structure. 

"We got her to basically become a part of our team," Washington University women's head basketball coach Randi Henderson said. "Gave her a locker in our locker room." 

Chloe now attends the majority of the team's games and practices, as well as other events hosted by the team such as coloring, and cookie decorating. 

Mia said the program has provided Chloe her first chance at friendship with people in months. It's given her excitement to leave the house every week.

"She'll learn a lot from the girls," said Mia Bell. "Who knows, maybe she'll pick up something and be like, 'that's what I want to do.'"

The team said although Chloe initially joined the program to receive support and encouragement, it's Chloe who has been the biggest inspiration. 

"I think anytime you're interacting with someone that's going through something, it gives you a ton of perspective about the struggles that you have as a college student," Henderson said. "Classes are hard, making new friends, homesickness. There's all kinds of struggles, but then you meet a little kid, or a little girl in our case, that is battling something much bigger. It kind of just gives you perspective." 

 

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