Standing an thefrantla, n, junior Don Goines and sophomore Sean Callihan discuss the construc– tion Nov 17. During high school. Callihan battled and overcame chondrosarcoma. a type of bone cancer. ·Jonathon lindsay / ::::,- . overcomlrq Disabilities strengthen relationships for some Freshman Molly Rummel, her mom and her dog Lakota made their way through the student cemer to the mailboxes. They waited as smdenrs swarmed around them, making it difficult to maneuver. Rummel dropped her mail, and Lakota picked it up and gave it to her. Rummel and sophomore Sean Callihan had much more to worry about than getting up in time for chapel each morning. Despite the pain and difficulties they faced daily, these Harding swdems looked ro the future with support from thei r friends, families and pets. Rummel was diagnosed when she was 2 years old with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, which affected he r entire body, she said. "It has gonen progressively worse over the years, but I'm still able to do a lot ofth ings," Rummel said. "I have medication that I take to help with [pain], and I've kind of [become] tolerant of the pain over the years." Rummel also had osteoporosis which made her bones brittle and prone to breaking. "I'll JUSt begetting started towalking on my own again, and I'll break something," she said. "There was a time where every six or eight weeks, right as I was recovering from one broken bone, I'd [break] another one." About five years ago, Rummel broke her hip and was in rehabilitation ar Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock. While she was there, a woman raid Rummel abour an organization that trained dogs to help people in wheel– chairs. Rummel signed up to receive a dog and was on the waiting list for twO years. Then, three years ago, Lakota came into Rummel's life. "She's trained to pick up things for me [and] go get things for me around the house," Rummd said. "Sometimes she can pull my chair. She helps me in everyday life." . More than JUSt helping around the house, Lakota was a conversation starter, which made a difference in Rummel's life, she said. "She helps people warm up to the fact that I'm in a wheelchair," Rummel said. "She's go tten the focus off the faCt mat I'm d ifferent than other people and made it easier for them to (alk (0 me because of her." Sean Callihan played baseball all rhmugh high school and planned [0 cominue playing in college. After a running practice his junior year, his leg was sore and he noticed that his hip was swollen. His farher (ook him to [he hospital where his leg was X- rayed. The doctor said the injury looked severe, so he sent Callihan to see a specialist. Callihan visited several doctOrs, even traveling from Atlanta to Nashville, Tenn., to get a second opinion. They found our it was a chondrosarcoma, a type of bone cancer. A tumor the size ofa softball had grown into his hip socket. "When they cur it alit they had to take the bottom half of my pelviS off and they did reconstructive surgery in the joint," Callihan said. A year later, his hip gOt infected wim E. coli, so they had ro perform a second surgery to take me screws out. "Now there's no cartilage in the joint, and it's like permanent arthritis every day, every step," Callihan said. "It's really painful. I have a bunch of pain medicine but I try [~Ot to take it because I don't want to get dependent on It Callihan said it was difficult not being able to play sports, but his friends and family were a constant encour– agement and support to him. "It's hard because you have to go back and be depen– dent on your parents for pretty much everything again when you have something like that," Callihan said. "So my parents being there is nice to have." Losing his dream of playing college baseball was a difficult reality ro face, but his friends have helped him through, Callihan said. "}have a ton offriends here, and I love it, and I wouJdn't leave them for anyrhjng," Callihan said. "They've really been there for me; they've been really su pportive of me." With the help and support ofthe people around them, these students persevered through pain, everyday difficulties and differences to persist through daily life at school. "Friends have been amazing here at Harding," Cal~ Hhan said. "They've helped me get through the times when it really hurt." ·lennifer Allen non-traditional students cJ.1I
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