Lauren Hill was a small-town girl who ended up becoming a national celebrity. Lauren was a basketball player for Mt. St. Joseph University in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her story first came to national attention when she was diagnosed as having a rare and ultimately fatal form of brain cancer. At first, her goal was to be able to play in a college game. Hiram College adjusted its schedule, and the game was played before a sellout crowd at Xavier University. Lauren played and scored. After that, Lauren decided to become a voice for people who had the same disease. She began a foundation to raise funds for a cure and raised more than a million dollars. Her picture was placed on a Wheaties box; she earned an honorary doctorate, appeared on several TV shows, and won the Pat Summitt Courage Award. In the last days before her death on April 10, 2015, Lauren said to Paul Daugherty, a Cincinnati Enquirer reporter, “I believe God has the last say. And I feel like I’ve accomplished what I intended.” One of her philosophies was “Playing to the final buzzer.” She did it in basketball and she did it in life.
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