KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Blue Valley West High School senior Jack Punswick is used to having people cheering for him.
The support for Punswick on Saturday came from Sporting KC fans, who cheered as he was honored before the match.
His family is always in the stands and always encouraging him.
In September, Jack was diagnosed with Stage II Hodgkin lymphoma.
Nothing ever prepares any parent to hear the words, ‘your child has cancer,’” his mother, Karen Punswick, said.
Now, he’s celebrating small and big things every single day.
“Jack’s mindset is like, ‘I’m going to do something good every day,’” Eric Punswick, his dad, said. “Whether that’s getting out of bed or whether it’s him being able to walk around the block.”
His son's battle with the disease is heartbreaking for his family.
You want to take on the pain," he said. "You want to take the illness. You never want to see your kids suffer,” Eric said.
But big moments are still celebrated.
His mom remembers the emotions she felt when Jack qualified for the state championship.
“I just stood up and roared, then sat down and sobbed,” Karen Punswick said.
Jack felt like he was swimming against the tide, but that didn’t stop him.
“I kept saying, ‘It's not going to happen to me. It's not going to happen to me,’ and then it happens to me,” Jack said.
Between chemotherapy sessions, he attended swimming practices and competitions.
"It hurts a lot," he said. "I got it every other Thursday and I was knocked out in my bed for like four to five days after that. And then the following Monday, I was back at practice because I just hated staying in my bed."
In February, he made it to the podium at the state championship.
“I’m happy with the results, knowing that I had gone through so much,” he said.
Jack is now catching his breath. He finished his eight chemotherapy sessions. In April, he will redo the exams.
“Just waiting on those," he said. "Each day is getting even closer to that. I know I’m going to beat it.”
Recently, Jack received the 2024 Kansas State High School Activities Association Spirit of Sport Award.
His positive outlook helps him cope with the fact that his senior year is not exactly as he planned. He’s learning to find beauty in change.
“Before my diagnosis, I was dead set on being a civil engineer," he said. "After my diagnosis, seeing the way I was helped by my doctors, nurses, and physical therapists, I feel like physical therapy would be a great job for me."
The Punswick family is warming up for more celebrations.
“If God put me in this situation, He’s going to take me out of it,” Jack said.
