What is a found family? A place where people take care of each other, offer support and show unconditional love. For sophomore Emily Austin, that is the swim and dive team.

On Monday, Aug. 28, Austin had severe pain in her back causing her to go to urgent care. During this visit, they didn’t find anything abnormal but the pain persisted so off she went again. More tests, imaging, and blood work were done before they finally found the cause. Austin had a mass on her spine.

“Honestly, the whole process of going to urgent care, waiting two days, and coming back was very disappointing to me and my family,” Austin said

On Thursday, Sept. 7, her biopsy came back and she was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare type of cancer affecting the inside of the bones and soft tissues around the bones according to the Mayo Clinic. So far, Austin has had three rounds of chemotherapy and is going on strong with the help of the swimming and dive team by her side.

“The swim and dive team have made me feel like less of an outsider and more like a true teammate and a part of the family,” Austin said

One principle the swim and dive team lives by is that no one is alone in this process. During the annual pre-season meeting on Oct. 24, swim coach Andrew Cunningham suggested that every team member and parent write a note for Austin to lift her spirits. Over 60 notes were sent to Austin’s house that day.

“Receiving the cards made me feel very special and cared about, especially because a lot of the people who wrote cards didn’t really know me, but they still wrote sweet messages and drew pictures,” Austin said.

The swimmers and divers announced that, just in time for the state competition in February, some of them will either shave their heads or dye their hair pink just to make Austin laugh. For these athletes, laughter and the joy shared among teammates is the best medicine

“A positive outlook in life, in general, is really important and is the key to Emily’s speedy recovery, which won’t be hard for her because she is always full of laughter,” senior Alex Urbanski said.

Urbanski is shaving his hair for Austin to show her that she doesn’t have to be alone during this time and she has someone to lean on. But it’s not just him she can lean on; she can lean on the shoulders of the swim and dive team—a place where she can express her feelings and find comfort at all times.

“Shaving my head wasn’t a decision I had to ponder a lot about, I really care about Emily and wish her well in her recovery,” Urbanski said.

Instead of dyeing their hair or shaving, the swimmers and divers will wear pink or gold suits. A pink suit represents cancer in general, and a gold suit represents bone cancer.

“Being on our team means being a part of a family with unconditional love and support. No matter what we will always find a way to be there for anyone who needs it because that is what being in a family means to us swimmers and divers,” sophomore Arnav Gupta said.

For Austin, it’s not about the type of support she receives but knowing that they are there for her in solidarity.

“The swim and dive team has helped get me through my first rounds of chemo, everything from the card shower and care basket to them dying their hair and wearing pink or yellow suits, really made me feel like a part of the team,” Austin said.

Cunningham and Raylie Hollingsworth, Abby Barry, and their moms organized a care basket for Austin, filled with various goodies including a gift card, coloring book, candy, a sweatshirt, and many more items.

“The cards and the basket were so that Emily knew that if she ever needed anything she would know that the swim and dive team is here for her 24/7,” Cunningham said.

With the love and support of the swim and dive team, everyone hopes for her speedy recovery. Austin is going on to her fourth round of chemotherapy and has been fighting with the help of her found family.

“A place I found to lean on and feel the love and the support I needed was the swim and dive team. With everything they have done for me it has felt like I was a part of the family even though I was so far away,” Austin said.

Even from afar a family can support one another, having a family whether it is a group of friends or teammates is a crucial part of life. A family is there no matter what is going on and will always be there to love and support you.