The official site of the Torch, the student-run newspaper at Glenbrook North High School.

Torch

The official site of the Torch, the student-run newspaper at Glenbrook North High School.

Torch

The official site of the Torch, the student-run newspaper at Glenbrook North High School.

Torch

Shapiro battles osteosarcoma

Shapiro high-fives seniors Jake Santellano and Patrick Pekala while playing goalie against Foreman. Shapiro was taken out after the first few seconds because of his physical condition from chemotherapy. Photo by Gabe Weininger.
Shapiro high-fives seniors Jake Santellano and Patrick Pekala while playing goalie against Foreman. Shapiro was taken out after the first few seconds because of his physical condition from chemotherapy. Photo by Gabe Weininger.

Upon learning that senior Teddy Shapiro had not shown up for the first week of Peer Group camp, Paul Vignocchi, boys varsity soccer coach, was concerned. And after contacting the Shapiro family, Vignocchi was visited by Shapiro himself, who revealed an earlier diagnosis that had prevented him from attending: cancer.

Vignocchi said he was shocked, particularly from his own perspective as a father with two kids.

“You don’t anticipate this to happen to anybody,” said Vignocchi. “Especially an 18-year-old kid.”

Shapiro said he had started to feel a nagging pain in his glute in April, but “didn’t really think much of it.” He thought he had simply “pulled or strained something.”

Despite trying to rest the injury over the summer while at camp, the pain “never really went away,” said Shapiro. “I could feel something there.”

Shapiro said his doctor initially diagnosed the pain as “joint dysfunction,” but after seeking a second opinion, a subsequent biopsy and three weeks of waiting, he was finally told there was a mass in his pelvis. This mass, the size of a “16 inch softball” with “no official cause,” turned out to be osteosarcoma, a cancerous bone tumor, Shapiro said.

“I was in shock,” said Shapiro. “As a kid you think you’re kind of invincible and don’t think you can get cancer.”

Despite the illness, Shapiro still attended the boys varsity soccer team’s first home game. In fact, he was featured as the starting goalkeeper, his usual position.

“Seeing [Teddy] jogging on the field and being in his natural position was just incredible,” teammate Ethan Glass said.

The ball was immediately kicked out of bounds to let junior Ian Albert substitute Shapiro, at which point the team went over to Teddy and hugged him, Glass said. Meanwhile, the opposing team, from Edward G. Foreman, took a knee while the crowd gave a standing ovation.

Vignocchi had planned the gesture with Foreman’s coach, Glass said.

Even Shapiro, who admitted to not being a really emotional person, said, “I almost started crying.”

Included in the stands were Shapiro’s friends from Camp Ojibwa, other counselors and the camp’s director, Denny Rosen.

“For [Rosen] to be there was really great,” Shapiro said. “He’s emailed me a bunch just telling me to stay to stay strong, I’m going to make it through [and] he wants to see me at camp next summer.”

Teammates Patrick Pekala and Will Crockford designed T-shirts and bracelets for the game with “TEDSTRONG” written on them.

Glass said the shirts were a surprise for Shapiro. It was special “when he came out and saw us all in orange and our Tedstrong shirts for him, and we got to give him a shirt.”

To raise awareness and funding for osteosarcoma, Shapiro said he is starting a foundation called “Tedstrong.”

“One of my friends at camp had a similar situation,” said Shapiro. “His brother had leukemia and he’s head of the foundation called “Picstrong.” I know I want to do the same because it’s been a huge influence on [my friend’s brother] and his life and I think it can be something for mine too.”

Shapiro said he has school-related goals as well.

“I plan to be in remission within the next ten months, I plan to be ready for college, I plan to be going to summer camp [and] I plan to play volleyball [this spring],” said Shapiro. “I’m very positive about this whole situation…and trying to not let it bring me down and not let it ruin my senior year.”