Inspiring RI state chair Misty Lourenco faces rare cancer with positive approach
Share:
by Gary Abbott USA Wrestling
Photo of Misty Lourenco with friends and supporters during the Walk for Team Lourenco fundraiser provided by the Lourenco family.
Wrestlers tend to be tough, and that includes more than just the athletes. Consider Misty Lourenco, USA Wrestling’s state chairperson in Rhode Island and a youth sports leader in the Warwick, R.I. community.
When Misty was first informed by her surgeon that the pain in her foot was caused by a rare bone cancer mostly found in children, Misty’s reaction was not what you might expect.
“I think I felt more upset for my doctor than I did for myself. He came into the room. I was still groggy from the anesthesia. He said they found out the source of the pain. It’s a tumor and they sent it off to pathology. He said it could be cancer. I asked him if he was nervous, he said he was. The look on his face, I honestly felt worse for him than myself at the moment, because it was not what he was expecting. He was prepared for one thing and it came back something else.”
Misty Lourenco is a 38-year old mother and wife, with four children. She works as the manager of a local bank in town. She has found a passion for youth sports, leading the wrestling and football programs in Warwick. At this time, she is dealing with the challenges caused by osteosarcoma, a form of cancer that starts in bones and is most common in children.
What makes Misty so inspiring to her friends, her family and all the kids in her sports programs, is her amazingly positive attitude. In spite of going through extensive chemotherapy and facing the amputation of the lower part of her leg later this week, Misty feels good about her prognosis and her future.
“It’s not that I don’t have my moments, because I do. I know I have more to live for. That’s what matters to me. I have a wonderful husband and four beautiful children. I have a community I want to be around and watch it grow and thrive,” said Misty.
Here’s Misty’s back story and her wrestling background, to set the scene in her life.
“My oldest son, who is now a senior in high school, played Pop Warner football. His coach said he should wrestle to stay in condition for football. I had two younger sons, and I talked to the boys. We signed up for wrestling seven years ago, and they have been wrestling ever since,” said Misty.
Her role as a wrestling mom quickly expanded to becoming a wrestling leader, something which is part of how she lives her life.
“After the first year, our head coach asked me to be a team mom, along with his wife. Then he asked me to start attending meetings. I first became treasurer. When our state chairman Rico (Lomastro) decided to step down after many years, he came to me and asked me if I’d be willing to do it, and I said absolutely,” she said.
Misty enjoyed working with the youth to the extent that she considers it an important part of who she is.
“It started with Warwick PAL, being involved with football, wrestling and lacrosse. There is a strong family presence in wrestling. You are spending all day together on a Sunday. The friendships you build there are unbelievable. I plan on sticking around wrestling. My youngest has two more years. Healthwise, if everything goes well, I don’t plan on going anywhere,” she said.
There is a reason that Misty is known as the “Team Mom” around Warwick.
“It’s about the kids and giving back to your community. If you can do it, just do it. The kids asked why do you do it. Originally, I got involved with my kids, because I wanted to know what was going on. It can become an obsession. You get to know the families and all these children. When I look at the football players or the wrestlers, they are all my kids. In my eyes, every one of them are my children,” she said.
The process of finding out about her cancer took a number of different turns. It started with a pain in her foot, which Misty ignored for awhile, expecting it to get better. When she went to the doctor and had an MRI, the original diagnosis was inflammation or other issues with her tendons and nerves. She wore an orthopedic boot for three months, but it did not improve. The next diagnosis was Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome, which is a compression of nerves. When they went into surgery for this, the surgeon found a tumor instead.
“I did some research, and I realized that the extent of it in my foot, I knew I would need amputation from below the knee down. I came to terms with that. My doctor here in Rhode Island wanted to get some other tests done. We needed to do a bone scan to make sure it is not in any other bones, and we needed a CAT scan of the lungs, because that is the first place it travels to. The bone scan was normal, the CAT scan was not normal. That scares me because that is a vital organ. You can live without a foot, but lungs are more difficult,” she said.
After going through three rounds of chemotherapy, her doctors saw enough progress in her lungs that they will go ahead with the amputation of her right leg below the knee. That operation is scheduled for this Thursday, October 16, at respected Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
“I have positive doctors and positive people in my life who help me with this. I am going to the best place possible. I have the best doctors. When I got word that we can do the amputation surgery we are doing Thursday, and finish the lungs after that, well that’s all good news. If it didn’t show that the lungs were responding to the chemo, they would have done different treatment first, maybe lung surgery, before doing the leg,” she said.
Ever since this has happened, the community which she has given so much time and love to over the years has responded with amazing support and help for Misty.
“They have been unbelievable. On September 27, my wrestling family put together a walk for me to accept donations with help with any medical expenses not covered by insurance. We had over 400 walkers. This shows how close the wrestling community is, many wrestling teams showed up. They represented. It was unbelievable to see them there, and people from all over show up. It was very overwhelming,” she said.
The benefit walk was held in Warwick at its City Park. The “Walk for Team Lourenco” helped increase the funds raised for Misty from between $10,000 and $15,000. More may be needed as Misty still faces considerable medical needs on her road to recovery.
“This is fabulous, it’s a show of community,” said PAL Wrestling director Rick Swanson to the Warwick Post during the event. “Warwick is a great city, I love it, and I grew up here. People like Misty make it that way. Now she needs our support.”
Since getting osteosarcoma, Misty has decided to help educate people about the disease.
“It’s ironic that the type of cancer I have is a childhood cancer. With osteosarcoma, you have 800 cases and 600 of with people under the age of 24. It’s weird that somebody like me would get childhood cancer. In my eyes, it’s a challenge to me to bring awareness to childhood cancer. It can affect anybody at anytime. I told the football team that I’d rather go through this than any one of them. I’d rather take on this challenge than see a child lose an arm or a leg, something that will change their life forever,” she said.
Misty is already looking ahead. A few months after the amputation surgery, she will be fitted for a prosthetic. She has researched the physical therapy she will need to learn how to walk properly. She has set a goal of returning to work as soon as possible. The wrestling season is just getting started, and Misty has no plans of stepping down from her wrestling duties.
“I am not one who can stay home. That does not work for me. Let’s do a couple more rounds of chemo, then I’m better and let’s go. I told the doctors they have a six month plan here,” she said.
It once again comes back to her positive attitude and confidence in the future that makes her goals very realistic.
“Cancer does not have to be the end of your life. It’s a bump in the road, an inconvenience. It’s something you have to get through and realize that when you get to the end of this road, you are going to be fine. It has crossed my mind that it could be the worst thing, but I don’t let it stay in my mind. I move on and I ask what do I have to do. I have control over this. All I need are positive thoughts and prayers and I will be just fine,” she said.
Those who would like to help support the fundraising campaign to help Misty Lourenco with medical expenses have two options.
Donations can be mailed to the Misty Lourenco Fund at 181 Carlton Ave., Warwick, RI 02889, or there is an online option to support the fund at http://www.gofundme.com/Misty-Lourenco-Fund
Wrestlers tend to be tough, and that includes more than just the athletes. Consider Misty Lourenco, USA Wrestling’s state chairperson in Rhode Island and a youth sports leader in the Warwick, R.I. community.
When Misty was first informed by her surgeon that the pain in her foot was caused by a rare bone cancer mostly found in children, Misty’s reaction was not what you might expect.
“I think I felt more upset for my doctor than I did for myself. He came into the room. I was still groggy from the anesthesia. He said they found out the source of the pain. It’s a tumor and they sent it off to pathology. He said it could be cancer. I asked him if he was nervous, he said he was. The look on his face, I honestly felt worse for him than myself at the moment, because it was not what he was expecting. He was prepared for one thing and it came back something else.”
Misty Lourenco is a 38-year old mother and wife, with four children. She works as the manager of a local bank in town. She has found a passion for youth sports, leading the wrestling and football programs in Warwick. At this time, she is dealing with the challenges caused by osteosarcoma, a form of cancer that starts in bones and is most common in children.
What makes Misty so inspiring to her friends, her family and all the kids in her sports programs, is her amazingly positive attitude. In spite of going through extensive chemotherapy and facing the amputation of the lower part of her leg later this week, Misty feels good about her prognosis and her future.
“It’s not that I don’t have my moments, because I do. I know I have more to live for. That’s what matters to me. I have a wonderful husband and four beautiful children. I have a community I want to be around and watch it grow and thrive,” said Misty.
Here’s Misty’s back story and her wrestling background, to set the scene in her life.
“My oldest son, who is now a senior in high school, played Pop Warner football. His coach said he should wrestle to stay in condition for football. I had two younger sons, and I talked to the boys. We signed up for wrestling seven years ago, and they have been wrestling ever since,” said Misty.
Her role as a wrestling mom quickly expanded to becoming a wrestling leader, something which is part of how she lives her life.
“After the first year, our head coach asked me to be a team mom, along with his wife. Then he asked me to start attending meetings. I first became treasurer. When our state chairman Rico (Lomastro) decided to step down after many years, he came to me and asked me if I’d be willing to do it, and I said absolutely,” she said.
Misty enjoyed working with the youth to the extent that she considers it an important part of who she is.
“It started with Warwick PAL, being involved with football, wrestling and lacrosse. There is a strong family presence in wrestling. You are spending all day together on a Sunday. The friendships you build there are unbelievable. I plan on sticking around wrestling. My youngest has two more years. Healthwise, if everything goes well, I don’t plan on going anywhere,” she said.
There is a reason that Misty is known as the “Team Mom” around Warwick.
“It’s about the kids and giving back to your community. If you can do it, just do it. The kids asked why do you do it. Originally, I got involved with my kids, because I wanted to know what was going on. It can become an obsession. You get to know the families and all these children. When I look at the football players or the wrestlers, they are all my kids. In my eyes, every one of them are my children,” she said.
The process of finding out about her cancer took a number of different turns. It started with a pain in her foot, which Misty ignored for awhile, expecting it to get better. When she went to the doctor and had an MRI, the original diagnosis was inflammation or other issues with her tendons and nerves. She wore an orthopedic boot for three months, but it did not improve. The next diagnosis was Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome, which is a compression of nerves. When they went into surgery for this, the surgeon found a tumor instead.
“I did some research, and I realized that the extent of it in my foot, I knew I would need amputation from below the knee down. I came to terms with that. My doctor here in Rhode Island wanted to get some other tests done. We needed to do a bone scan to make sure it is not in any other bones, and we needed a CAT scan of the lungs, because that is the first place it travels to. The bone scan was normal, the CAT scan was not normal. That scares me because that is a vital organ. You can live without a foot, but lungs are more difficult,” she said.
After going through three rounds of chemotherapy, her doctors saw enough progress in her lungs that they will go ahead with the amputation of her right leg below the knee. That operation is scheduled for this Thursday, October 16, at respected Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
“I have positive doctors and positive people in my life who help me with this. I am going to the best place possible. I have the best doctors. When I got word that we can do the amputation surgery we are doing Thursday, and finish the lungs after that, well that’s all good news. If it didn’t show that the lungs were responding to the chemo, they would have done different treatment first, maybe lung surgery, before doing the leg,” she said.
Ever since this has happened, the community which she has given so much time and love to over the years has responded with amazing support and help for Misty.
“They have been unbelievable. On September 27, my wrestling family put together a walk for me to accept donations with help with any medical expenses not covered by insurance. We had over 400 walkers. This shows how close the wrestling community is, many wrestling teams showed up. They represented. It was unbelievable to see them there, and people from all over show up. It was very overwhelming,” she said.
The benefit walk was held in Warwick at its City Park. The “Walk for Team Lourenco” helped increase the funds raised for Misty from between $10,000 and $15,000. More may be needed as Misty still faces considerable medical needs on her road to recovery.
“This is fabulous, it’s a show of community,” said PAL Wrestling director Rick Swanson to the Warwick Post during the event. “Warwick is a great city, I love it, and I grew up here. People like Misty make it that way. Now she needs our support.”
Since getting osteosarcoma, Misty has decided to help educate people about the disease.
“It’s ironic that the type of cancer I have is a childhood cancer. With osteosarcoma, you have 800 cases and 600 of with people under the age of 24. It’s weird that somebody like me would get childhood cancer. In my eyes, it’s a challenge to me to bring awareness to childhood cancer. It can affect anybody at anytime. I told the football team that I’d rather go through this than any one of them. I’d rather take on this challenge than see a child lose an arm or a leg, something that will change their life forever,” she said.
Misty is already looking ahead. A few months after the amputation surgery, she will be fitted for a prosthetic. She has researched the physical therapy she will need to learn how to walk properly. She has set a goal of returning to work as soon as possible. The wrestling season is just getting started, and Misty has no plans of stepping down from her wrestling duties.
“I am not one who can stay home. That does not work for me. Let’s do a couple more rounds of chemo, then I’m better and let’s go. I told the doctors they have a six month plan here,” she said.
It once again comes back to her positive attitude and confidence in the future that makes her goals very realistic.
“Cancer does not have to be the end of your life. It’s a bump in the road, an inconvenience. It’s something you have to get through and realize that when you get to the end of this road, you are going to be fine. It has crossed my mind that it could be the worst thing, but I don’t let it stay in my mind. I move on and I ask what do I have to do. I have control over this. All I need are positive thoughts and prayers and I will be just fine,” she said.
Those who would like to help support the fundraising campaign to help Misty Lourenco with medical expenses have two options.
Donations can be mailed to the Misty Lourenco Fund at 181 Carlton Ave., Warwick, RI 02889, or there is an online option to support the fund at http://www.gofundme.com/Misty-Lourenco-Fund
Read More#
Jimenez, Blades, Baublitz win golds, Schwab claims silver, Martinez gets bronze in women’s freestyle at Pan American Championships
Sancho wins gold, Foy gets bronze, and USA wins Pan American Greco-Roman title with nine medals
2024 USA Wrestling Women’s Freestyle Awards: Sarah Hildebrandt (Wrestler), Clarissa Chun & Sara McMann (Coaches)
Olympic medalists Snyder, Blades among 20 U.S. Open champions qualified for 2025 Final X in Newark, N.J.
