Lauren Hill dies after fighting tumor to play college hoops

CINCINNATI -- Lauren Hill, who fought an inoperable brain tumor to play college basketball, has died. She was 19.

Hill's teammates and coaches remembered her with her own inspiring words at an on-campus vigil Friday a few hours after the Mount St. Joseph student died from a brain tumor.

She was diagnosed with the tumor but decided to attend the Division III school and play basketball. She spent her final year polishing a layup and inspiring others to live fully.

School President Tony Aretz told the several hundred students that Hill "taught us that every day is a blessing, every moment is a gift." A coach read one of her essays about treating life as a blessing.

Hill played in four games and made five layups. She also helped raise rough $1.5 million for cancer research. She died overnight at Children's Hospital in Cincinnati.

Hill's fight to not let her diagnosis dictate her final days rallied her Mount St. Joseph University team behind her and convinced the NCAA and others to move up her team's season opener to allow her a chance to play. She made two layups in the opening game.

Along the way, she became known simply as Lauren, someone who had a knack for encouraging others to make the most of every day by the way she persevered.

LeBron James had a simple and strong message for Hill: "Until we officially meet again, take care and continue to be that LEADER we all love!"

Lauren was told she had a rare and terminal form of brain cancer while a senior in high school, a diagnoses that would stop a lot of people in their tracks, but not Lauren.

"I never gave up for a second, even when they told me I had a terminal diagnosis. I never for a second thought about sitting down and just not living life anymore," she said.

Lauren did not give up her dream of playing basketball. She joined the team at Mount St. Joseph.

Knowing that she did not have long to fight her illness, the school petitioned the NCAA to push up their first game of the season.

"I love the roar of the crowd and the bouncing of the balls and the squeaking of the shoes and people working hard and, you know, fighting. And I just can't wait to be standing on this court in a basketball uniform with the number 22," she said.

Lauren wanted the attention brought to her story to help others. She started a non-profit to fight cancer, including her illness called DIPG.

"And now that more people know about this story and awareness for DIPG, I just... I'm so happy that people know about it now and that we can get some research going and hopefully find that home run cure for cancer," said Lauren.

(Some information from the Associated Press.)