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Last fall, Austin Cherry,18, had radiating pain that started in his knee then moved throughout his right leg. It caused him to limp and discomfort when trying to sleep. A baseball player all his life, he shrugged it off thinking it wasn’t any different from what athletes typically experience. 

“I’ve had knee pain before; I’ve had tears. I’ve had all the sprains and everything,” Cherry said. “If you do what you’re supposed to do to recover, but it doesn’t work, that’s already one sign that it’s a serious injury or something.” 

His pain persisted and had him searching online for answers. He found one – osteosarcoma. His family and friends didn’t want to admit he could be right until he received an official diagnosis. Cherry was diagnosed with osteosarcoma on March 8, 2024. 

“I was playing baseball at [Pitt Community College], and during the whole fall season I was having terrible leg pain. I was playing through it thinking it was muscle problems. March 8 – that morning I woke up in excruciating pain. The worst it’s ever been. I called my mom and said something’s not right. It’s not the normal pain I’m used to. We got the MRI and it was a tumor,” Cherry explained. 

X-rays revealed a tumor wrapped around Cherry’s femur causing a portion of it to become brittle. In June, Cherry had surgery at UNC Health to remove the tumor and a portion of brittle bone. The brittle bone was replaced with bone from a donor. Surgeons were able to hold it in place with plates, screws and 76 stitches. 

“You never expect your 18 year old to have something like this,” Cherry’s father, Bill, said. “It’s difficult. You don’t want to see him hurt like that and go through the stuff he’s got to go through or that he’s been going through. He’s been doing really well with it.” 

“He has been strong throughout,” Renee said about her son, “I feel like we needed to lean on him sometimes. He asked all of the questions and he wanted to make sure he understood what was happening and what type of cancer it was.” Renee is a certified nurse with ECU Health. She continued to say that she appreciated Cherry asking questions and wanting to know more about osteosarcoma. 

Osteosarcoma is a rare bone cancer; however, it is the most common type of cancer that starts in the bones, according to the American Cancer Society. “The cancer cells in these tumors look like early forms of bone cells that normally help make new bone tissue, but the bone tissue in an osteosarcoma is not as strong as that in normal bones.” 

People can develop osteosarcomas at any age, but it is more common among children and teens. It usually occurs in areas where bone is growing quickly like the end of the leg or arm bones, the American Cancer Society shares. 

“You’re 18 years old. You’re in the prime of your life playing baseball and everything. You just get shut down. You’re not a normal person anymore You’re different and special,” Cherry said. 

For now, “there are no widely recommended screening tests for osteosarcoma in people who aren’t known to be at increased risk. (Screening is testing for cancer in people without any symptoms),” according to the American Cancer Society. 

Most osteosarcomas are detected early, before they have a chance to spread to other parts of the body, because symptoms, like radiating pain, cause people to quickly set appointments with their doctor. Symptoms can include, but are not limited to: a persistent or unusual pain or swelling in or near a bone; a lump that may feel soft and warm in the arms, legs, chest or pelvis; an unexplained fever and/or a bone that breaks for no known reasons. 

This is why Cherry, his family included, advises people to trust their own bodies.  “I would say, a primary thing is to trust your body. Don’t sit here and deny it and think you’re okay, because that could be the difference between life and death and survival rate.” 

Cherry specifically tells kids and teens to not be afraid sharing their symptoms with parents, coaches and/or doctors. 

Cherry and his parents say it was “a miracle” his femur did not break or fracture last fall when he was exercising in preparation for baseball season at Pitt Community College. His exercise routines consisted of running, jumping, squatting and lifting weights as heavy as 300lbs. 

Renee has made it her “mission” to educate the public about warning signs and symptoms of osteosarcoma as well as share Cherry’s story. “I have been on a mission, because I definitely want to make sure it’s recognized early, because you cannot prevent it, but you can recognize it early and those classic signs.”  

Renee added that osteosarcoma can be misidentified by athletes who write it off as a sports injury, a strain or a sprain, especially in the lower extremities. 

Cherry is a 2023 Washington High School graduate. He was a catcher, relief pitcher and infielder for the PamPack baseball team. He is a catcher for the Pitt Community College Bulldogs. His love of baseball stemmed from his father who is an avid Chicago Cubs fan. 

Growing up in Washington was “perfect”, Cherry described. As soon as he was eligible, Cherry began playing in the Washington Youth Baseball League. Every year since, he has grown a community of people who now rally behind him. Last month, 71 members of the Washington community participated in the AustinStrong Home Run Derby. The derby raised awareness of Osteosarcoma in addition to raising money for the Cherry family. Close to 300 people were in attendance. 

“I don’t know about him,” Bill said, referring to Cherry. “I was figuring it would be a handful of people just going out there and having fun. When we got there, it looked like we were going to a high school baseball game. Stands were full. A lot of participants. It looked like two baseball teams going out there against each other. It was very impressive.” 

“I know I wasn’t so lucky with this diagnosis. This community, my friends, girlfriend, all of it,” Cherry paused to collect his emotions, “I’m the luckiest person alive, really.” 

In response to the outpouring of support and encouragement he’s felt from family, friends and the community, Cherry would like to start an organization which helps children facing similar diagnoses feel encouraged, hopeful and supported. 

“I want to be an example to whoever gets it to show them they have hope and it’s going to be okay. It’s beatable. It’s doable. Trust yourself, trust your body. Trust your family doctor and get something done and not be scared. Definitely keep God and your family by your side, because that’s the only thing you can do to keep fighting,” he said. 

Cherry has completed one cycle of chemotherapy. He will have five months of chemotherapy and four cycles. It will be repeated with the addition of two cycles with lower doses. After that, he will be in remission. 

Cherry plans to study Radiography at Pitt Community College and upon completing physical therapy, begin playing golf. 

This article is part of the Shepard Cancer Center’s initiative, Spotlight on Cancer. Spotlight on Cancer focuses on highlighting the importance of cancer screenings and early detection. 

“I think most people are scared to be faced with the cancer word. If we can make it less scary, and we can show symptoms so that people can say, ‘oh, this is what I am experiencing’ then maybe they will go to the doctor sooner. If it is detected, you have a much higher success rate early,” Stacey Lynch, founder of Spotlight on Cancer said.