Hagerstown mourns loss of student from DIPG

(HAGERSTOWN, Ind.) – The Hagerstown community is mourning the loss of a young student from the same disease that claimed Lawrenceburg graduate Lauren Hill. 

10-year-old Blakely Robinson was diagnosed in March with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG). 

For the past seven months, Blakely fought with courage and her parents say she not ever once gave up. 

“Through radiation, hospital stays, medications, countless trips to Cincinnati, and more obstacles than any ten-year-old should ever face, Blakely continued to be exactly who she had always been,” Alisha Robinson posted on Facebook. 

“She laughed. She smiled. She sang her favorite songs. She made hundreds of bracelets with her little hands, always wanting to bring happiness to someone else,” Alisha added. 

Blakely was surrounded by family and loved ones when she passed away on Thursday. 

She has left a lasting impact on her peers, teachers and the entire Hagerstown community. 

Her fifth grade basketball teammates told their coaches yesterday that they will be playing for Blakely this weekend. 

“I told them that every game they play will be for B and believe she will be there in their hearts,” the coach responded.

#22 Lauren Hill 

DIPG is a fast-growing type of brain tumor that starts in the part of the brain stem called the pons. It primarily affects children between the ages of 5 and 10 but can occur in younger children and teens. 

Lauren Hill diagnosed with DIPG at 18-years-old during her senior year at Lawrenceburg High School in 2013. 

Hill continued to play for the Tigers her senior season while going through chemotherapy and radiation. 

Prior to being diagnosed, Hill was given an offer to play college basketball at Mount St. Joseph University. 

She only accepted the offer on the condition that he could wear the #22. 

Lauren went to Mount St. Joseph and in September 2014 received MRI results that showed her life expectancy was reduced to 10 weeks. 

Her battle with cancer became public when the NCAA agreed to move up the Mount St. Joseph women's basketball season opener two weeks earlier from the original date so Lauren could play before tumor symptoms caused her to become more physically challenged. 

Leading up to the game, Lauren became known internationally and used her platform to become the voice of DIPG by spreading awareness and raising much-needed funds. 

Her “Never Give Up” attitude and her famous #22 became known around the globe and inspired millions. 

On November 2, she made her collegiate debut and scored the very first points of the 2014-2015 NCAA Women’s Basketball season. The game had to be moved to a much larger venue to accommodate 10,000 Lauren supporters. 

She earned several awards including the 2015 ESPY for Best Moment. 

Lauren passed away in April 2015 but not before using her platform to raise more than $2.7 million for DIPG research. More than $3.3 million has been raised in honor as of today.

You can learn more about Lauren's Fight for the Cure by clicking here.

A “22” connection 

While writing this story, I came across something that seems like quite the coincidence that I want to share with others.

It’s not believed that Blakely’s family and the Hill family know each other. 

However, Blakely’s mom shared a Facebook post last month after a conversation with a nurse. 

The nurse told her, “I don’t know if you believe in angel numbers, but at 2:22, I said a quick prayer that you get to go home.”

The “2:22” continued to stick with Alisha even after receiving good news that Blakely was being discharged and sent home for the evening. 

“God has a way of reminding me that He is working behind the scenes—even while we’re still waiting for the answer,” she said.

You can read Alisha’s post by clicking here.