March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. This year, it’s taken on a whole new meaning for Reagan High School Athletic Trainer Jamey Howard.
“You never fight alone. That’s one thing I’ve learned throughout all of this.”
Howard is battling colon cancer. He found out by accident. After first dealing with a health scare related to blood clots, he experienced a pain in his side. This led him to get an MRI and discover a mass.
It’s a scary diagnosis for anyone. But Howard is drawing purpose from pain. He approached 12 rounds of chemotherapy with the resilience and determination of an athlete.
“I’m so grateful to work in the athletic environment because you’re always competing,” said Howard. “I had an opponent. We tell these kids every day, win or lose, you’re going to compete. And I’m going to win.”
His mantra became a rally cry for everyone walking in this fight alongside him.
“Fight like you’re the third monkey on the ark and it’s starting to rain. That became our mantra for this. I was never fighting alone.”
The entire North East ISD and Reagan community rallied around Howard in ways he never expected.
Current and former students and colleagues of nearly 20 years reached out, sending text messages, letters and gift cards. Our coaches and trainers went to chemotherapy treatments with him and visited him in the hospital. The Reagan Rattler football team put decals on their helmets in his honor.
Joseph Martinez, Reagan Athletic Trainer, learned how to unplug Howard from his chemo treatments so he didn’t have to go back to the clinic every time.
“I cannot say enough good things about Coach Martinez. He’s more family than friend.”
Others stepped up too. Roosevelt High School’s Athletic Training staff and students wore t-shirts in his honor. At MacArthur High School, the Athletic Training staff and students teamed up with Smithson Valley to create a poster and sign it showing their support.
On his last day of chemo, Howard dressed up in an orange tuxedo to celebrate with NEISD coaches and athletic trainers by his side.
“I decided on my last chemo treatment, I wanted to try and have fun. I wanted to try and bring a smile to their faces that day. It doesn’t matter what’s going on in your world. You’ve got to keep going forward.”
Howard’s fight isn’t over. But he keeps moving forward knowing he isn’t fighting this battle alone.
“I’ve been blessed. There’s no other way to describe it. I want to thank the good Lord above and the entire Reagan community. I’ve bled green for 19 years. This is home.”
