ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – WTSP Channel 10 correspondent Travis Bell was on campus recently to sit down with Eckerd College men's basketball
Lance Kearse and insightfully probe the senior forward's ongoing battle with sickle cell trait.
In a segment titled “Renewed Health,” Bell attended several of the Tritons' practices and interviewed the Fort Myers native along with EC Head Coach
Tom Ryan in great detail as Kearse continues to help educate based on his prior experiences.
Enjoy the following story in full below. The story along with a video clip can be found
here.
-By Travis Bell, WTSP Channel 10
Lance Kearse had a game-high 22 points and 11 rebounds for Eckerd in the 80-64 win over rival Tampa. It was a typical night for Kearse during a strong senior season for the Tritons' forward.
Finally healthy, Kearse leads Eckerd in points, rebounds, and blocked shots.
"It's great," Kearse said. "I'm in the best shape I've ever been in."
Kearse has never lacked physical shape. He has always looked and played like an elite basketball player.
The problem was his body didn't allow him to be the best he could be, despite his best efforts.
"When I was younger, I would get tired really fast," Kearse said. "Faster than everybody else, so I just thought I wasn't in shape.
"So I tried to run more, work out more to try to keep up with my peers. It was things like that that made me used to wonder,
"'Am I ok?'"
Kearse was not ok.
During a workout early in his freshman year at VCU, Kearse was taken to the hospital after battling serious fatigue and uncontrollable cramping. He nearly lost his kidneys as a result of severe dehydration.
He struggled to play 10-15 minutes per game during two frustrating and painful seasons at VCU.
"While everything was at its worst," Kearse said. "I kind of felt like I was gonna die."
Kearse left VCU and landed at Eckerd, just two hours from his Ft. Myers hometown. He continued to struggled with fatigue and cramping until a blood test performed during a physical.
The test revealed that Kearse had the sickle cell trait, which earned headlines after the death of UCF football player Ereck Plancher.
Kearse read about Plancher and had a feeling that he shared the same condition after hearing about Plancher's symptoms.
"When they said sickle cell trait," Eckerd head coach
Tom Ryan said. "(Lance) was really afraid."
"When I was told how serious the sickle cell trait was," Kearse said. "It kind of hit me."
Fortunately for Kearse, he was properly diagnosed.
While there is no guarantee, Kearse is able to treat the condition. He receives pre-game IV fluids and performs extensive stretching to help prepare his body. He also is a self-described expert on amino acids, so he tries to maximize his effort off the court to assist on it.
The numbers don't lie. Kearse is averaging 28.2 minutes per game, which is third most for the Tritons. He has helped Eckerd to a 9-4 record, including back-to-back wins over Rollins and Tampa.
After all the struggles, the NCAA granted a fifth year of eligibility to a player who can serve as an example for every player to get tested for the sickle cell trait.
"He's not afraid for his life every time he steps on the basketball court," Ryan said.
"I know exactly what I am, who I am, what I have," Kearse said. "Life's fun now."
