By Jason Cocomise

Actor James Dean once said, “Dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die today.” For 18-year-old John Challis, this has become a stark reality. Two years ago, John was diagnosed with liver cancer. Just a few weeks ago, he was told that the cancer was winning and that he is nearing the end of his young life. Doctors tell John he may only live two more months. He thinks he can make it two more years.

John has always been an athlete. He is an avid hunter and has played baseball and football for as long as he can remember. He is now in the midst of his senior year at Freedom High school in Beaver County, Penn., and will graduate with a 3.7 GPA, even though he is now too sick to go to school. Because of his deteriorating frame, now down to 93 pounds, John is no longer able to play sports the way he used to. John’s hometown of Freedom and neighboring communities have rallied around John and his family in this most difficult of times, finding inspiration in his never-quit attitude.

“I guess I can see why people see me as an inspiration,” John said. “But why do people think it’s so hard to see things the way I do? All I’m doing is making the best of a situation. Why can’t people just see the best in things? It gets you so much further in life. It’s always negative this and negative that. That’s all you see and hear.”

Freedom Varsity baseball Coach Steve Wetzel was so inspired by John’s example that he invited him to be a part of the team for this his senior year. John savors the rare few pinch-hit at-bats he has been able to take during his final season at Freedom. The cancer has now spread to his pelvis, making it painfully difficult for him to walk, let alone run. In a recent game against rival school Aliquippa, John was called on to pinch-hit.

With all of the power that he has left in his frail body, he makes contact with the first pitch he sees. If he can make it safely to first base, his line drive to right field will earn him a single. But falling over on his way to first is now a legitimate concern of John’s. He struggles, hustling his deteriorated body as best he can, and makes it safely to first base. He yells, “I did it. I did it!” His teammates run on to the field to celebrate the accomplishment with him. His first base coach is in tears. Aliquippa, the other team, is cheering for him too.

John doesn’t let the thought of this being one of his final at-bats get him down. He was told that he wouldn’t live past last summer, and he has now made it this far.

“Life ain’t about how many breaths you take,” John says. “It’s what you do with those breaths. I’ve got two options. I know I’m going to die, so I can either sit at home and feel sorry, or I could spread my message to everybody to live life to the fullest.” For young John Challis, it may be the bottom of the ninth inning with 2 outs in his life, but the game just isn’t over yet.

Click here to read more and see pictures and videos about John Challis.