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Calhoun High School held a fundraiser for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation Tuesday night and Dean Brownworth, a senior who has survived cancer, was on hand as a volunteer.
Brownworth, 17, was diagnosed with a brain tumor in December of 2011, and he underwent radiation and chemotherapy, and was forced to miss a year of school because of it. Now, Brownworth is cancer-free and he said that going through the ordeal taught him valuable lessons about life.
“I realized how easily life could change,” Brownworth said. “You realize you always have to stay positive no matter what.”
Brownworth returned to school on Jan. 2, and he was happy to get back into the flow of things, considering that he’d been home-schooled by tutors since being diagnosed. On Jan. 18, Brownworth returned to the basketball court for an away game against Herricks, and he scored three points, which caused an eruption from the crowd.
“Everyone was going crazy,” he said. “My teammates and fans went nuts, and it was really fun.”
Now, Brownworth is keeping his attention on baseball, which is something he wants to play in college. He aspires to go to Cornell University and study sports management. He said he was proud of the lessons that this ordeal has helped him learn.
“It meant a lot to show that I could overcome this treacherous event,” Brownworth said. “I could show people that I could get back and could really do anything. Don’t let one thing, such as cancer, stop you from doing what you love.”
On Tuesday, Brownworth will join 115 classmates from Calhoun as they get their heads shaved to raise money and awareness for pediatric cancer. Thus far, Calhoun has raised $40,569 this year, and is at 81 percent of their $50,000 goal.
