"He's a fighter, on the field and in life": Meet Beloved Quarterback And Cancer Survivor Austin Heck

After his diagnosis, Heck’s hometown community raised over $43,000 in one week for his medical expenses using a GoFundMe page. “He’s a hometown hero to a lot of people and pretty well known because he was our quarterback,” Meghan Povall, a friend and former schoolmate told the Journal, “but nobody rallies that quickly for just anyone. It says a lot about the person Austin is and how beloved he is.”

Melissa Cesark, whose son Nick was Austin’s lacrosse and football teammate, started the GoFundMe page. “She’s part of our sports family and it’s a tight group,” said Austin’s dad, “The outpouring of support was so rapid and it’s been amazing. Just seeing that has helped us a lot, and we can’t thank her and everyone else enough.”

After complaining of a persistent headache and nausea, Austin was brought on Jan. 27 to the emergency room of Vassar Brothers Medical Center, Austin’s father told the journal. He had a seizure while he was there. He had a CT scan, which is basically a combination of a bunch of X-Rays taken from different angles around your body. The scan showed swelling and bleeding on the brain, and he was rushed by ambulance to Albany. Austin began receiving chemotherapy on Jan. 29 and, on Monday, had surgery to relieve pressure on his brain.

"We'll find out if we're out of the critical zone," said Jeff Heck. "If he can remain stable for the next couple weeks, the danger that he's in now significantly reduces."

He still is conscious and responsive, but bright lights and noises louder than a whisper are painful. His parents and girlfriend have remained almost constantly at his bedside, and several friends visited late last week, according to the Journal article.

Austin's attitude has helped assuage loved ones. They are better able to cope because he is, his parents told the Journal. "It amazes me sometimes, his attitude," said his dad. "He's not panicked. He's telling everyone to calm down and 'We got this.'"

"He's a fighter, on the field and in life," Arlington football coach Michael Morano said. "As crushed as I was to hear about this, at least I know it's a kid who has the kind of mindset to face this and isn't gonna lay down to adversity."

“He was really tired and dozed off a couple times while we talked," said Jake Azukas, a close friend and fellow Arlington grad told the Journal. He’d visited Austin. "But even in that condition, he had a few laughs in him and was optimistic. That's the kind of person he's always been."

“He’s a hometown hero to a lot of people and pretty well known because he was our quarterback,” friend and former schoolmate Meghan Povall said to the Journal, “but nobody rallies that quickly for just anyone. It says a lot about the person Austin is and how beloved he is.”

"The doctor told us, 'Your son is extremely sick and he has a fight ahead of him,'" Jeff Heck told the Journal, "but it's a fight that's winnable.

The football team’s group chat from autumn 2016 still is active and the players, most of whom are in college now, have kept in touch. The chat has been flooded with prayers and well wishes, a teammate told the Journal. Those who are away and can’t visit have offered financial support and kind words. Austin can only look at his phone for a few seconds at a time because of the screen light, his father said, but knowing that he’s receiving messages of support almost constantly is uplifting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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