Originally appeared on Survivor Net
Despite an ongoing recovery from a car crash that left him with a shattered leg, legendary golfer Tiger Woods is making time to inspire others along the way. Woods recently met up with a 10-year-old girl in Florida and told her to “stay strong” amid her battle with Ewing sarcoma, a bone cancer.
In a picture posted on the little girl’s Instagram account, the 45-year-old golfer smiled while holding crutches and wearing a leg support next to Luna Perrone in her soccer uniform.
“I got to have a quick chat with @tigerwoods this weekend when I bumped into him at the soccer fields!” Perrone wrote in the post. “He told me to “stay strong” which has always been my goal! Stay strong physically and mentally and inspire others to do the same! No matter what you are going through YOU GOT THIS!!!”
Perrone is currently undergoing chemotherapy and blood and immunity-boosting shots at St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, according to the Daily Mail, and Perrone’s family has raised more than $100,000 to cover the cost of treating the tumor on her pelvis.
And despite having “one of [her] worst days since starting this battle” on Monday, Perrone is still riding the high of meeting Woods and supporting her soccer team during their last tournament of the season.
In another Instagram post, Perrone shared the latest developments in her cancer journey. Her Monday began with proton therapy that causes pain in her hip and back from secondary radiation burns. Then she had an abnormal CBC (complete blood count) showing a low number of platelets which help with blood clotting, so she needed a platelet transfusion. This replenishing of platelets left her with nausea and a fever. She couldn’t even make it to the car without vomiting, but she still went straight from the hospital to her team’s soccer practice.
“STAY STRONG, STAY POSITIVE, YOU GOT THIS” was the message Perrone left with followers despite everything she’s going through. Even though Woods inspired Perrone to keep pushing through her fight with cancer, it’s safe to say Perrone has been a source of profound inspiration herself.
What are Sarcomas?
The term sarcoma is used to describe an array of more than 70 rare cancers that begin in the bones and the soft tissues. This diverse group of diseases accounts for only about one percent of tumors in adults and just over 10 percent of tumors in children.
The main symptom of sarcomas is generally a slow-growing, painless mass, but symptoms can be hard to detect as soft tissue sarcomas are typically painless and bone sarcomas can be mistakenly diagnosed as orthopedic injuries.
“Unfortunately, most sarcomas do not cause many of the symptoms that may be associated with other cancers,” Dr. Dale Shepard, director of the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute Phase I and Sarcoma Programs, tells SurvivorNet. “A mass the size of a golf ball or larger and growing should be evaluated as a potential sarcoma. It’s important that patients who do have symptoms are not dismissive of them.”
Understanding Ewing Sarcoma
Ewing sarcoma is a specific type of sarcoma that occurs in bones or in the soft tissue surrounding the bones. It is most commonly found in adolescents, but younger children, as well as adults (in their 20s and 30s) can also be diagnosed with this disease.
According to the Mayo Clinic, some signs and symptoms of Ewing sarcoma include:
Pain, swelling or tenderness near the affected area
Bone pain
Unexplained tiredness
Fever with no known cause
Losing weight without trying
Treatment for Ewing sarcoma depends on the location of the cancer and the size of the tumor at the time of diagnosis. A doctor’s course of action may involve a combination of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. Sometimes the aggressive nature of these treatments can cause both short-term and long-term side effects. According to the Mayo Clinic, “lifelong monitoring is recommended” after completing treatment to watch for potential late effects of the intense treatment.