EVANSVILLE - Albany assistant boys basketball coach Andy Phillips' life changed when he got a phone call Labor Day weekend.
Phillips' 4-year-old daughter, Harlow Phillips, had complained of stomach pain at the Evansville-Albany football game against Beloit Turner Sept. 1, so they had gone home early. Harlow woke up in the middle of that night in pain.
"She came downstairs and was just screaming in pain," Andy said.
Harlow's mother, Melani Phillips, took her to Stoughton Urgent Care.
She underwent an MRI and was then transferred to the University of Wisconsin-Madison Children's Hospital where she had a biopsy Sept. 3. The biopsy showed Harlow had high-risk stage 4 neuroblastoma, a type of cancer, in her abdomen. She started chemotherapy treatments the next day.
"Those couple of days were just a blur," Andy said. "It's not something I would even wish on my worst enemy."
The Albany girls and boys basketball team will host "Hoops for Harlow," a fundraising event for Harlow and the Phillips family, Saturday when they both play Brodhead.
"We wanted to do something to help Andy's family," said Derik Doecher, Albany Athletic Director and girls basketball coach. "He has been a big part of our program, and he's the top boys assistant coach. The bottom line is no one should have to go through that."
When Andy, who is a 2002 Evansville High School graduate and a contractor, got the call that his daughter was at the hospital, he and his mother-in-law rushed to the hospital in Stoughton.
"The only thing I could think of was when I was little my sister had a ruptured appendix," he said. "I just remember thinking, 'I hope it's not her appendix.' About four hours later, I wish it would have been her appendix."
Doctors at the UW-Children's Hospital detected a softball-size tumor in her abdomen, Andy said.
According to the American Cancer Society, neuroblastoma stems from nerve cells becoming malignant cancer cells that form in the adrenal glands, abdomen, chest, neck or pelvis. It's is the most common cancer in babies, according to the American Cancer Institute. It's also the third most common cancer in children after leukemia and brain cancer.
Harlow was in the UW Children's Hospital for one week until they could get her pain medication and constipation under control. She has to undergo five rounds of chemotherapy and just completed the fourth round last week. She went into the hospital Sunday due to a fever but was expected to be released before Albany's game Saturday against Brodhead.
Her final round of chemotherapy is set for Wednesday. After that, she will have blood tests and a CAT scan to see how much the tumor has decreased. Harlow will have surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible in January. She will then have two stem cell transplants where she has to stay in the hospital for one month each time.
During chemo treatments, nurses at the UW Children's Hospital try to get her to smile, Andy said, but she maintains a brave face.
"She's the most stubborn girl," he said. "When the nurses leave, she breaks into a big smile and picks on her two brothers. She's a pretty smart kid. Not once during this has she asked what is going on. She knows."
During the Albany-Brodhead junior varsity girls basketball game, the varsity girls basketball game at about 5:30 p.m. and the varsity boys game at 7:30 p.m., there will be a silent auction in the elementary school gym. All proceeds from the silent auction and a 50-50 raffle will go to the Phillips family.
"It's been a big obstacle for us," Andy said. "Our family, friends and the whole community has just been amazing. There always was that connection in football with Evansville and Albany. To get that relationship back is just awesome."
Phillips' 4-year-old daughter, Harlow Phillips, had complained of stomach pain at the Evansville-Albany football game against Beloit Turner Sept. 1, so they had gone home early. Harlow woke up in the middle of that night in pain.
"She came downstairs and was just screaming in pain," Andy said.
Harlow's mother, Melani Phillips, took her to Stoughton Urgent Care.
She underwent an MRI and was then transferred to the University of Wisconsin-Madison Children's Hospital where she had a biopsy Sept. 3. The biopsy showed Harlow had high-risk stage 4 neuroblastoma, a type of cancer, in her abdomen. She started chemotherapy treatments the next day.
"Those couple of days were just a blur," Andy said. "It's not something I would even wish on my worst enemy."
The Albany girls and boys basketball team will host "Hoops for Harlow," a fundraising event for Harlow and the Phillips family, Saturday when they both play Brodhead.
"We wanted to do something to help Andy's family," said Derik Doecher, Albany Athletic Director and girls basketball coach. "He has been a big part of our program, and he's the top boys assistant coach. The bottom line is no one should have to go through that."
When Andy, who is a 2002 Evansville High School graduate and a contractor, got the call that his daughter was at the hospital, he and his mother-in-law rushed to the hospital in Stoughton.
"The only thing I could think of was when I was little my sister had a ruptured appendix," he said. "I just remember thinking, 'I hope it's not her appendix.' About four hours later, I wish it would have been her appendix."
Doctors at the UW-Children's Hospital detected a softball-size tumor in her abdomen, Andy said.
According to the American Cancer Society, neuroblastoma stems from nerve cells becoming malignant cancer cells that form in the adrenal glands, abdomen, chest, neck or pelvis. It's is the most common cancer in babies, according to the American Cancer Institute. It's also the third most common cancer in children after leukemia and brain cancer.
Harlow was in the UW Children's Hospital for one week until they could get her pain medication and constipation under control. She has to undergo five rounds of chemotherapy and just completed the fourth round last week. She went into the hospital Sunday due to a fever but was expected to be released before Albany's game Saturday against Brodhead.
Her final round of chemotherapy is set for Wednesday. After that, she will have blood tests and a CAT scan to see how much the tumor has decreased. Harlow will have surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible in January. She will then have two stem cell transplants where she has to stay in the hospital for one month each time.
During chemo treatments, nurses at the UW Children's Hospital try to get her to smile, Andy said, but she maintains a brave face.
"She's the most stubborn girl," he said. "When the nurses leave, she breaks into a big smile and picks on her two brothers. She's a pretty smart kid. Not once during this has she asked what is going on. She knows."
During the Albany-Brodhead junior varsity girls basketball game, the varsity girls basketball game at about 5:30 p.m. and the varsity boys game at 7:30 p.m., there will be a silent auction in the elementary school gym. All proceeds from the silent auction and a 50-50 raffle will go to the Phillips family.
"It's been a big obstacle for us," Andy said. "Our family, friends and the whole community has just been amazing. There always was that connection in football with Evansville and Albany. To get that relationship back is just awesome."
