OAKLAND — Three months ago, 19-year-old Ramone Sanders was toiling on the gridiron at Oakland’s Laney College, fresh off a high school career that saw him contribute to two championships and full of hope that somehow he’d eventually make it to the NFL.
Now he’s fighting for his life.
Things started going bad last November when Sanders broke his leg while practicing in his first season at Laney, which would go on to win the California Community College Athletic Association Football Championship game against Ventura College.
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Sanders, a defensive lineman who was quick on his feet and registered some impressive sacks, thought it was a typical sports injury and, at worst, he might have to sit out the season and do some intensive physical therapy.
But when doctors were treating his femur — the leg’s thigh bone — they discovered he had a tumor there that likely had weakened the bone. Not only did they conclude he had had osteosarcoma — bone cancer — but they also found that the cancer had since spread to his lungs.
Osteosarcoma can be deadly, especially if it has spread, according to the American Cancer Society website. The five-year survival rate if the the cancer has spread to the lungs is 40 percent, the website says, although other factors such as the patient’s health and age could improve the prognosis.
But that hasn’t broken Sanders’ spirit. He says he’s not worried and is still clinging to his dreams, confident that he will be ready to get back on the field next season.
“There have been ups and downs, but I try not to let that get to me, and keep a positive attitude, stay around my family, and always pray,” Sanders said in a faint voice during an interview from his hospital bed Friday — the day after undergoing his first round of chemotherapy.
Exhausted from the treatment, Sanders was breathing heavily and at times struggled to keep his eyes open. He had been sleeping most of the day with his parents by his bedside.
“He was a perfectly healthy kid, barely even got a cold in his entire life, and then this happened,” his mother, Toni Brown said.
Sanders has relied on a wheelchair to get around since breaking his leg. He’s been staying at home in Oakland, but going back and forth to the hospital for treatment.
Sanders doesn’t wallow over his diagnosis. He’s surrounded by loved ones, including his inspirational 2-month-old daughter, who all keep him positive. He’s trying to view this setback as just another obstacle to overcome.
“I know I’m going to be able to play again, and I hope it’s soon,” Sanders said. “I’m going to try my hardest for 2019.”
In the meantime, he has the Super Bowl in Atlanta next month to look forward to, thanks to tickets the Raiders gave him and his family. After he returns from the Feb. 3 game, doctors will assess whether more chemotherapy is needed, said his father, Ramone Sanders, Sr.
“It’s been devastating, heartbreaking, and difficult to deal with, but his energy and positivity keeps us going,” Brown said.
Most osteosarcomas are treated with chemo before surgery and then again after surgery for up to a year, according to the American Cancer Society.
Since word got out via social media posts and online fundraisers about Sanders’ diagnosis, the family has received an outpouring of support from the community, as well as football stars Marshawn Lynch, of the Raiders, and Josh Johnson, of the Washington Redskins — both Oakland Tech grads. Johnson visited Sanders and Lynch has been texting and calling him, he said.
Sanders and his parents have been flooded with phone calls, text messages and social media messages from people wishing them the best.
“It feels good, it shows me that people really care about me, love me, and want to see me fulfill my dreams,” Sanders said.
The family is also strapped with another daunting hurdle: paying Sanders’ medical bills. He’s going to need a rod in his leg and intense physical therapy for the broken femur in addition to the cancer treatment.
“Right now, the main thing that’s been costing a lot is the medication before getting to this point,” Brown said. “As of right now, being that he just started chemo, I don’t know what this bill is going to look like, but I imagine it’s going to be a pretty penny, and an ongoing thing.”
Oakland Unified and the family set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for the treatment. Donations can be made at https://www.gofundme.com/help-an-oakland-studentathlete-fighting-cancer/donate.
The Everett and Jones restaurant in Jack London Square is hosting a fundraiser event Feb. 17 to help the family pay for Sanders’ medical bills. Tickets can be purchased at the restaurant at 126 Broadway or on eventbrite.com.
