Schoolboy Jordan Hart battles cancer
Jessica Huxley | February 19th, 2011 - Gold Coast Bulletin.
All Saints Anglican School year 12 student Jordan Hart is fighting Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and recently won age champion at the school swimming carnival. Pic: Kate Czerny
GOLD Coast pool ruler Jordan Hart has won age champion at All Saints Anglican School every year since grade three.
However, this year the swimming title symbolises extraordinary hope and perseverance for the former surf lifesaver, given his recent diagnosis of cancer for the second time.
The inspirational year 12 student made a triumphant return to the pool for the first time in three months at his school carnival last week.
Jordan smashed four school records and received the school’s prestigious Michael Deane Memorial Trophy for Best Overall Swimmer.
The 17-year-old talent won the 100m freestyle, setting a phenomenal new record of 56.73.
He also broke the 50m freestyle, 50m backstroke and 50m butterfly records and finished first in the 50m breaststroke.
It is hard to believe just a week before his cracking performances in the pool, Jordan lay in hospital receiving chemotherapy.
The hospital is a place he has become familiar with — he spent his Christmas and new year there as well as the majority of this school term so far.
”It felt so good to finally be back in the pool,” Jordan said after the carnival.
”I had been looking forward to this (swimming) — this just shows if you want something you can do it.”
His swimming exploits were not just limited to the pool.
Before his diagnosis Jordan regularly patrolled Kurrawa Beach after school and on weekends and says he can’t wait to get back on duty when he is well enough.
Jordan was first diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma in October 2009 and after a remission period it returned in November 2010.
But not even cancer could stand between the diving blocks and the avid swimming teen who wore a bag on his arm just so he could swim.
”I had no idea how I would go,” Jordan said.
”I just wanted to be there as house captain, this is such a big thing for the last year of school.”
Jordan says the support he has received from his friends and teachers has been so genuine and encouraging.
They even made a DVD for him with messages of support and goodwill during his hardest times away from them.
Jordan’s mum Jenny Hart said Jordan had remained incredibly positive throughout his ordeal and that winning swimming age champion had given him an enormous boost to face the months ahead.
”The support from the school and other families shows that good can still come out events as bad as these,” Mrs Hart said.
Jordan will soon undergo more rounds of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant but remains determined to return to swimming and surf lifesaving soon.
”I want to take a year off to train again in the pool and do all the fun things I’ve missed out on like going to the beach and hanging out.
”I’m hoping to get a sport scholarship, which will allow me to study medicine to help others who are sick.’
http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2011/02/19/292911_gold-coast-news.html
