For many, basketball is more than just a game. To Warriors Basketball Academy coach and cancer survivor Troy Druppal, basketball is his remedy.
“Basketball means everything to me,” Druppal shared, “I’ve always said basketball was my chemotherapy when I battled cancer. After I was given six months to live, I denied undergoing treatment and just wanted to be around the game, because that’s what made me feel better and at peace.”
As a teenager, Druppal was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer generally found in patients under 25 years old. As the cancer continued to spread to his limbs, doctors were forced to amputate Duppal’s left arm, adding another unforeseen chapter to the teenager’s challenges.