Feb. 17, 2009
Order tickets to Thursday’s game against No. 3 Auburn
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Thursday night’s women’s basketball game at Memorial Gymnasium will be the final home contest for Amy Malo, Jennifer Risper and Christina Wirth. The evening would normally be reserved for honoring a trio of seniors that has won 94 games in the past four seasons at Vanderbilt.
These seniors, however, would prefer to share the spotlight in order to bring attention to a cause that has deeply affected the team this season. So they’ve organized a “Lyme Out” initiative, asking fans to wear lime green to support lyme disease awareness.
Back in December, sophomore Rebecca Silinski was diagnosed with lyme disease. A native of Pennsylvania by way of Birmingham, Ala., Silinski had played in eight games this season before the diagnosis ostensibly ended her season.
“Coach [Balcomb] has always told us that every problem can either be an opportunity or an obstacle,” Silinski said. “I’ve tried to make it an opportunity to learn about the game of basketball. I also want to spread awareness about this disease.”
Silinski’s family has dealt with the disease for the past year. Her younger sister Kaitlyn has struggled with the illness since October of 2007. Muscle tremors prevented her from walking for nearly a year, and a bout with laryngitis stole her voice last December.
Both of Silinski’s parents have also been diagnosed with lyme disease, with test results due back for youngest sister Mikayla in the near future. Rebecca’s case has been less severe than her Kaitlyn’s, primarily involving fatigue, and doctors are hopeful that a few more months of oral antibiotics will help clear the way for Rebecca’s return to the court.
For the Commodore basketball team, the events surrounding Thursday’s game are a strong show of support for a teammate battling a mostly unknown foe.
“To lose a teammate for the season is always tough,” Wirth said. “But this is a different situation since its not an injury that you can directly see and understand. As a team, we just want to show our complete support of Rebecca and her family, and we’re happy to have the opportunity to get others involved.”
All fans in attendance are encouraged to wear lime green to Thursday’s game. A limited number of lime green T-shirts and wristbands will be thrown out to the crowd during the game.
“This just shows the character of the girls that I play with,” Silinski said. “Seeing them wear the bracelets and putting the effort into this event makes it clear the kind of family we have here at Vanderbilt.”