- November 25, 2024
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The holiday season is a time when families get together in love, to celebrate the birth of Jesus and to bring in the New Year. In 2006 on Christmas day, the Windham household received an unwanted gift: cancer. Josh Windham was 4 years old when he was diagnosed with juvenile leukemia.
“At the time he was our only child,” said his mother, Melissa Windham. “When he began treatments, he wasn’t responding to them, so they told us to prepare for the worst. That was hard to hear. That’s when I thought we were going to lose him.”
Windham fought cancer for five years. During that period, he lost his hair three times, gained over 40 pounds and made over 20 visits to the hospital.
“The hospitals in Dothan couldn’t treat him, so we had to go to Birmingham, which is four hours away,” Melissa Windham said. “We had to travel for eight hours every time Joshua had to go to the hospital. That was extremely hard.”
After five years, Windham was told that he was cancer free.
“I never really worried,” Windham said. “I knew God was watching over me. I was just tired and hungry all the time.”
“We were so happy to be done with it,” Melissa Windham said. “I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. It’s just a tough process to go through.”
When Windham was told that he could play sports, he surprised his friends and family when he chose to play unlimited weight football.
“I allowed him to play because I thought he would want to quit,” his mother said. “Other people and I thought he was too small, but he actually surprised us on the field.”
Though he is only 75 pounds, Windham plays at multiple positions for the Flagler Wolfpack 12U division, under coach Randy Burke.
Some of the players that Windham goes up against weigh well over 225 pounds. When told that all the players are bigger than he is, Windham said, “So. I just get them in the legs.” Windham also said that he loves playing defense, especially linebacker.
A few weeks ago, in their 21-6 win against Moncrief, the Wolfpack honored Windham’s victory over cancer by wearing pink number “25”on their helmets, Windham’s jersey number. They allowed him to run in an extra point, which was his first ever scoring play and gave him the game ball for his fight and courage.
“It felt really good,” Windham said. “I don’t get many plays, so being able to do that was awesome.”
“It was very, very nice of them to do that,” Melissa Windham said. “He’s not the best player on the team, but that night solidified that everyone on the team loves him.”
“He’s an inspiration to the rest of the team,” Burke said “If you can beat cancer, then you can beat football. You’re a football player. When you choose to play football, being as sick as he was…that’s a young man with courage and spirit.”
BOX: Flagler Wolf Pack 12U set for playoffs
Flagler Wolf Pack_ Flagler Wolfpack_wolfpack team
The Wolfpack are set for their first playoff game against the Clay Bears.
After a season where they only lost three games by a total of nine points, the Flagler Wolfpack 12U (5-3) football team is set to play the Clay County Bears (6-2) in the first round of the playoffs 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, in St. Augustine.
“We have a disciplined, hardworking group of kids that have sacrificed a lot to get to where they are,” coach Randy Burke. “The Clay Bears is a very talented team, but we believe that we have a strong chance of moving forward to the championship.”
The Wolfpack will be looking forward to having a large fan section to support their run to the championship.
