Ohio State's Avery Henry Announces Bone Cancer Diagnosis: 'I Will Fight This!'
Ohio State football player Avery Henry has been diagnosed with bone cancer.
The freshman offensive lineman confirmed the news on Twitter Monday night.
"This isn't the way I wanted to release this, but I know no other way," Henry posted. "A couple days ago I was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer. I will fight this! I have never been a statistic and I never will! I want to thank my brothers and coaches for the endless support!"
Teammates and fans showed their support for the St. Clairsville, Ohio native after his announcement.
"You got this brother… we all here for ya!!" wrote running back Dallan Hayden, while fellow offensive lineman Paris Johnson Jr. said: "We love you brother, we are with you in this fight!"
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Jay LaPrete/Ohio State University
According to the Mayo Clinic, osteosarcoma is a type of cancer that begins in the cells that form bones and typically occurs in teenagers and young adults.
The 6 feet, 6 inches, 309-pound athlete, who did not play this season, is a three-star recruit who originally committed to Iowa State, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
Henry ultimately decided to stay closer to home and cited his family as the main reason.
"Being that my mom's a single mom, she can't make that distance all the time," Henry told Cleveland.com in November 2021. "We always talked about what if Ohio State offered. I told my mom I was gonna take it if it came. It was unbelievable when I first got it. I didn't realize for the first day or so."
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Fans of conference rival Michigan football also shared their support for Henry on social media. Tragically, the team has recently experienced its own loss of a promising recruit from the disease.
Earlier this month, high school football standout Dametrius "Meechie" Walker died after a two-year battle with osteosarcoma.
"Our friend. Our brother. Our teammate," Michigan Football posted in tribute. "We are heartbroken to learn of the passing of Dametrius Walker. Meechie was an inspiration to every member of our program and the Michigan family as a whole. He will be missed by so many."
