PREPS: Poway rallies around cancer-stricken softball player

Community, teams rally around Johnson family after diagnosis

By TERRY MONAHAN - Staff Writer | Tuesday, April 29, 2008 10:28 AM PDT ∞

Poway softball player Alexis Johnson was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, or bone cancer, on March 24. She is undergoing chemotherapy and expected to have surgery in June. Courtesy photo.

SAN DIEGO ---- Everything that happened in Dominick Johnson's life before March 24, even in the worst of times, will now be referred to as "The Good Old Days.''

All of those events in the life of the Poway High baseball assistant coach pale in comparison to the devastating news he received that day.

Alexis Claire Johnson, Johnson's eldest of four daughters, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, or bone cancer.

"This was horrific,'' Dominick said, shaking his head while sitting on a patio at Children's Hospital in Linda Vista while Alexis slept following a week of chemotherapy sessions. "I can't explain what went through my mind when I heard the word cancer because cancer killed my dad.

"My whole self just went dead.''

Life instantly changed, not only for the Johnson family, but for the Poway softball and baseball teams.

Johnson, 39, and Donna Johnson, Alexis' mother and Dominick's ex-wife, have spent most of their time at the hospital since Alexis was admitted to Room 104, which is now decorated in Titans green.

Neither Dominick nor Donna have been able to work since Alexis began the chemo treatments, which they hope lead to surgery June 10 to remove the tumor, replace the femur with a steel rod and give her an artificial knee.

Rarely is someone not at Alexis' side. At night, Donna stays in the hospital's family center and Dominick is in the room with Alexis. Dominick's current wife, Kelly, with whom Johnson has daughter Katelyn, 7 months, has also stayed overnight a few times.

Donna is in charge of Alexis' medicines. Dominick is with her for all chemo treatments. Alexis cared for Dominick after he donated a kidney to a stranger in February.

"Chemo is bad, nasty,'' said Dominick, who played center for Poway's three consecutive CIF 3A San Diego Section basketball championship teams in 1984-86. "You can read all about it and it doesn't prepare you. The medicine is orange, and that's what it looks like when Lexie vomits it. Even her tears come out orange.

"We're going to be at Children's pretty much for the next year. It already feels like we've been here a lifetime.''

Alexis is looking at a minimum of 30 additional weeks of chemo following surgery. It could be as many as 40 weeks depending on the condition of the tumor at the time of removal.

According to the Internet site Children's Cancer Web, osteosarcoma most often strikes between the ages of 15 and 25, and 80 percent of the time develops around the knee. Alexis' pear-sized tumor is just above her right knee.

Before her diagnosis, the 5-foot-11 Alexis was a healthy 15-year-old first baseman on the junior varsity softball team at Poway. Doctors say the upcoming surgery will end her playing career, although Alexis is determined to prove them wrong.

She became ill after completing a one-year rehabilitation of a broken right ankle she suffered July 6, 2006 in sliding practice. To hasten the healing, surgeons attached two plates and 10 screws to the ankle.

Once she was cleared to play last fall, Johnson spent time working with the baseball team. She ignored the pain that developed in her leg before finally mentioning weeks later that she was having trouble sleeping.

"I thought I had torn some cartilage or something not too serious,'' Alexis said. "Maybe after the ankle surgery I overcompensated and tore something.''

The tumor was found the next day at Scripps Clinic Urgent Care in Rancho Bernardo and Alexis was taken to Children's Hospital.

"The X-ray tech was walking behind Alexis and his face was as white as a ghost and he was holding onto the wall to balance himself, shaking his head no, no, no,'' Donna said.

The hospital arranged to have a counselor tell Dominick's daughters Tessa, 11, and Maris, 9, and two of his nephews about Alexis' diagnosis.

"I didn't have the heart to tell them,'' Dominick said. "Tessa went crazy over the news.''

The players on Poway's baseball team haven't forgotten their workout partner. They shaved their heads and carved Alexis' initials on the backs of their heads. They also wear wristbands with her nickname, Yaya, on them.

Before heading to the hospital, Dominick took Alexis to watch Poway play Rancho Bernardo in baseball at home on March 14, six days after her last softball game.

They sat in his truck in the parking lot above right field.

"She perked right up as soon as we got on campus,'' he said. "We only stayed three innings before she started feeling bad, but it was still a good day.''

Contact staff writer Terry Monahan at (760) 739-6648 or tmonahan@nctimes.com.