PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Often in sports, the plot involves fans encouraging their favorite teams and athletes to reveal resilience and overcome obstacles in their way.
But in Lily Walker’s story, the roles are reversed.
Walker, 17, faces some unimaginable circumstances. In true Philadelphia fashion, she shows extraordinary courage to fight her battle with a brain tumor, and the world of Philly sports is encouraging her.
The incoming high school senior from Havertown was diagnosed with a brain tumor that has since been determined inoperable. Through bravery and faith, she tackles this challenge head-on.
“I think I’m a ‘shero’ because I’m fighting cancer, and a lot of people want to know about me,” said Lily.
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“She’s a 'shero' because a lot of people look up to her. She just handles this road she’s on with such positivity, grace and poise,” said her mother, Megan Walker.
“Her oncologist said that about her one time. He said he’s never seen anyone with so much grace and poise at such a young age with such a diagnosis.”
She started a website, a movement: A Lily For The World.
And the Philadelphia sports community has helped her along the way.
The meaning behind her 11:15 a.m. prayer
Every day at 11:15 a.m., Lily and her family pray. Before MRIs, she hosts prayer sessions over Zoom. They hold the prayer at 11:15 a.m. because her birthday is Nov. 15. It’s a way for friends and family to remember to think of Lily and pray for her.
Lily prays to the late Fr. Bill Atkinson. The priest worked at Monsignor Bonner High School for many years, living with paralysis for most of his life after an accident in the 1960s.
Atkinson passed away in 2006, but Lily’s grandfather was close with Fr. Bill, which is part of the reason she prays to him every day.
Lily and her family hope Atkinson can be canonized as a Catholic saint through a miracle for her.
To the Walkers, prayer and sports also go hand in hand.
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“When you watch [the Eagles] play and something good happens, a touchdown, an interception, you see them point. A lot of them point to the sky, obviously pointing to God, calling on their faith in something good that has happened for them,” said Megan.
“They pray before the games, hoping to keep them healthy and safe and hopefully bring success. We can relate that to what we’re going through, and we pray before Lily has her MRIs and before her appointments that she will have success. And we pray when something good happens in thankfulness, that God is listening to us and getting her well.”
Lily says she’s hoping to be healed, to show “that prayer really does work.”
She roots for them, they root for her
Lily, a competitive cross country runner before she was diagnosed, has had family pass down their Philadelphia sports fandom to her. It’s in her bloodlines.
“It’s in her genes,” her mom said with pride. Since she’s been handed this absolutely awful obstacle, the teams she loves have been there for her.
Megan said that in 2019, early in her medical fight, Brandon Graham and the Eagles invited the Walkers to training camp. One day, she went directly from camp to the emergency room for brain surgery the next day.
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Despite that schedule, the Walkers said they had a great time at the NovaCare Complex.
“They treated us like we were stars,” Megan said.
“Totally,” Lily agreed. “It was amazing.”
Former Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz privately met with them. Wentz also wrote about Lily’s situation and how he wore a #LilyStrong bracelet on game day.
Later that year, the Sixers’ Matisse Thybulle hosted Lily and some of her friends at a game. They enjoyed a suite, and Lily got to go on the court.
“That was so much fun,” Lily said.
Then in 2020, the Phillies honored Lily by making her a Courageous Kid of the Game on one of their telecasts, and she also got to read the lineups on Childhood Cancer Awareness Night. It came during the pandemic-shortened season where not a single spectator entered Citizens Bank Park.
But Lily’s cardboard cutout was there in September behind home plate, so thousands could see her and her fellow warriors during the games.
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More recently, current Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and wide receiver DeVonta Smith sent Lily a message, set up by well-known sports psychologist Dr. Kevin Elko, who calls her “Philly Lily.”
“It definitely helps me,” Lily said of the support from the Philadelphia sports teams, “because it makes me feel more confident in everything, like knowing that all those people are right there for me.”
It’s not just her favorite teams stepping up. Many in Havertown are showcasing green light bulbs outside their homes to remind Lily and other children fighting cancer that they are supporting and praying for her.
Green has become the signature color of Lily’s fight, a coincidence that it’s the color of her favorite football team, the Eagles.
Keep praying, don’t give up
After going through her battle the past three years, Lily has taken up motivational speaking.
She aspires to be a child life specialist when she grows up because of the care she received during her fight.
Megan said since the tumor is inoperable, they hope it stays as stable as it has over the past two years and doesn’t grow. But as the battle goes on, it’s clear Lily’s spirits are very strong.
It helps to have her mom at her side.
“I just try to stay positive through all of this,” Lily said. “I've been trying to stay positive.”
It was clear during our conversation that Lily and her mother are tied at the hip. They lean on each other, with one picking the other one up.
“Root for these teams, keep rooting for them, and also root for Lily and all the other kids who are dealing with any kind of illness … a lot of kids who struggle, so they need support and cheers just like our sports athletes do,” Megan said.
“For the sports teams that are out there, keep being human. Keep doing your thing and providing us with such entertainment. But keep staying grounded because it makes a difference to us.”
“It totally does,” Lily said.
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“It makes a difference to us that you take time to give your love to kids who need a little boost,” Megan added.
“Thank you to all the athletes and sports fans who are out there. Keep cheering. Keep praying for Lily and all those other kids who need to get back there so they can get back to their sports.”
Lily finally shared to keep praying to Fr. Bill so that her miracle can happen.
Mark your clocks for 11:15 a.m.