tattnalls Haley Gordon

I have found that I really enjoy this blogging thing because I get to write about the insides of some of the stories I get to write for the newspaper.
I will quickly admit that I have wanted to write about Haley Gordon since I found out that she had Cystic Fibrosis almost two years ago. I was fascinated that she was managing to play high school basketball at a high level with a serious illness that she has to conquer every single day.
I interviewed Haley on Monday and right away she showed the maturity of someone much older. She has a firm grasp of what she has to do every day to stay healthy, and it doesn't seem to get in her way.
We talked for almost 30 minutes and she was very open and relaxed talking about a very difficult subject.
Haley did admit that she has her moments of "why me" but was quick to point out that she doesn't have them very often and when she does, she will cry it out for five minutes in private and then be done with it. She is determined to live her life with Cystic Fibrosis, and not let Cystic Fibrosis live her life for her.
This young lady gives a lot of the credit for her health to basketball and believes that all the running she does on the basketball court helps to clear her lungs. She knows that when her career is over she will have to replace that cardio with something else.
Haley also had back surgery last year and had an infection in her lungs which was causing her to spit up blood, and that was a worry to the point that she considered not playing her senior year. But medication has cleared that up, and she is having a wonderful year on the basketball court.
Haley has the strong support of her parents, Stephen and Robin, who I now consider friends, and her sister Allie, who is a standout softball player and a member of the basketball team. The only time Haley teared up during the interview was when I asked her about her relationship with Allie. I will admit that I almost teared up seeing the love she has for her sister.
When I first had the idea of this story, I truly wondered if Haley would want her story to be in the newspaper. But she did not hesitate at all. Her friends know the deal and know that even if she is spending the night somewhere, that she will take the 45 minutes to do a breathing treatment. That's just Haley.
Go see Tattnall Square play before the year is over, and when 33 drills a long three, clap just a little louder. Haley G is the real deal as a young woman.