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Women's Basketball

Hannah’s Hope

Hannah Linz has been the strength of the Herd throughout the duration of her career. With the reemergence of her illness, Fargo seeks to become the back bone for Linz’s second recovery.

Photography By Caitlin Abrams

 

By Haley Haddock

Cancer. Hannah Linz knew the first time around that she was going to get through chemotherapy and radiation and get back to basketball and academics in no time. But, when she was diagnosed a second time with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma everything changed.

Linz was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma originally in April 2010. This type of cancer originates in the white blood cells and affects the immune system. However, when she heard the news the second time around, Linz was ready for the road ahead. Carolyn DeHoff, head coach of NDSU’s women’s basketball team, said “Hannah is a planner.”

First, Linz had plenty of questions and issues to figure out. She wanted to know what treatments consisted of? When and where the treatments will take place? What does she need to do to prepare for the treatment? When will she be able to take her summer classes and most importantly, when can she start preparing to play basketball next year? Despite all of the questions, she had a plan.

After chemotherapy and radiation, Linz beat her first fight against this disease, which for her was just a part of the plan.

At the end of 2012, she was informed that her cancer had returned. Coach DeHoff recalled how the “thought of it reoccurring hit everybody’s emotions on a deeper level – the second time around the emotions were far greater.”

In supporting Linz, Coach DeHoff knows that the recurrence was questioned and whether the chances of reoccurring a third time was also questioned. But through the support of the Fargo community, Coach DeHoff has emphasized to Linz that there are plenty of two-time survivors and that all of Fargo is behind her 100 percent.

Linz will be in and out of hospitals for chemotherapy and radiation as compared to her plan of finishing out her basketball career this year.

Nathan Anderson, a representative of NDSU’s Student Athlete Advisory Council, explained how between Team Makers, students, faculty, basketball alumni, and teams within the Summit League, people have stepped up financially and personally to help Linz in this second battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

Between raffles, spaghetti feeds, donations, and Hoops for Hannah (free-will donations at home games), the organization has been able to raise $10,000, which goes directly to Hannah and her fight.

Linz is an exceptional Bison student-athlete with a 3.81 GPA in the nursing program and is ranked 12th nationally for 3-point shooting.

Anderson admires Linz and thinks, “any time you see an athlete that succeeds both on the court and in the classroom you can realize and understand the amount of dedication and work that takes.”

At the end of the day, “the way she has handled this particular thing that is more than about basketball has basically inspired all of us – I have told her that she has inspired me in terms of how she and her family has handled this,” Coach DeHoff said.

Hannah’s Accomplishments:

– Nominated for Honda & NCAA Inspiration Awards

– 2011, 2012 Summit League All-Academic Team / Commissioner’s List for Academic Excellence

– 2010 Summit League Winter/Spring All-Academic Team

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Interested in Donating?

– Checks can be made out to the: Hannah Linz Fund

– Checks can be delivered to:

Fargo Gate City Bank (or any other Gate City Bank branch)

500 2nd Avenue North

Fargo, ND 58102

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