Nearly seven months after a second bone marrow transplant in six years, 15-year-old Trace Thompson returned to the basketball court and signed with Florida State men’s basketball.
Like most teenagers, he enjoys sports, scary movies and video games, but unlike most people his age, Trace is diagnosed with Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD). It can be a fatal disease that damages the nervous system and adrenal glands, and he was diagnosed in May of 2019, while also being diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and pre-leukemia in January of this year.
He had his first bone marrow transplant in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in August of 2019, which required his family to stay in the area for almost seven months. The transplants are necessary as ALD currently has no cure, but the procedures can halt the progression of symptoms.
After another five months in Minneapolis following Trace’s second bone marrow transplant in April, he had his first basketball practice on Tuesday, Nov. 18, a sport he had to relearn after his procedures. A day later, he put pen to paper on a symbolic letter of intent to sign with FSU’s program.
“It means a lot to me that people are taking me in as one of their own,” Trace said with an FSU basketball t-shirt and hat inside the Seminoles practice facility after his signing.
While not an official college commitment, the Seminoles program signed a two-year agreement to help support and build a relationship with the Thompson family and make Trace a member of the team.
He was treated to a campus tour, sat in on practice, and signed his letter of intent in front of a rowdy, celebratory FSU team that welcomed him in as the newest member of the program, and his mother, Britany.
“My mom’s my best friend, and we do everything together,” Trace said. “So, just the fact I get to be with her is amazing.”
A special Seminole welcome
Guard Martin Somerville and head coach Luke Loucks gave Trace a welcome speech, and the Seminoles had a video package prepared for him to celebrate his commitment. His signing with the program came together in part thanks to Team Impact, an organization that pairs children with serious illness and disability with college teams.
Britany knew a member of Team Impact from their connection at a previous organization, and she went through rounds of interviews after Trace’s second bone marrow transplant, which forged the bond between FSU basketball and the Thompson family.
“We had to answer a lot of questions, and then they matched him. They have to reach out to our local community and see if they’re willing to pick him up, and they were. So it’s super exciting,” Britany said. “We have become hardcore ‘Nole basketball fans, and we will be for life. Just more than a team and cheering them on; it’s so much more than just your typical sports.”
Trace has been unable to attend school and is limited in what he can do on the basketball court, where he plays with a mask due to his compromised immune system. He has three lesions on his brain and is steroid dependent for the rest of his life due to adrenal insufficiency, and has other side effects brought on by his illnesses.
He currently does weekly labs, which are sent back to doctors in Minneapolis to monitor, and the family travels from Tallahassee to Minneapolis three to four times a year for follow-up testing, biopsies, MRIs, and more for both ALD and Leukemia. Some of the lab work has returned to normal, but there is still some being monitored.
The ability to be a part of the Seminoles program and build relationships with the team and coaching staff is meaningful to Trace, who is now teammates with the players on a team that is currently 3-1 in Loucks’s first year leading the program.
Coach ensures FSU basketball is ‘CONNECTED’ to the community
Before his signing ceremony, every player and coach who came into the Seminoles’ film room fist-bumped or shook hands with Trace and included him in a heated debate about the importance of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The relationship being built is in line with Loucks’ mantra of “CONNECTED.”
In his introductory press conference, the first-year head coach and former Seminoles point guard spoke about his desire to build relationships, not only with his team but the community in Tallahassee. It’s a promise he’s followed through on.
Britany said the word describes the relationship between her family and the program well.
Her son feels inspired by the team, and as both Loucks and Somerville mentioned in their welcome speech to Trace, the Seminoles are inspired by his journey and continued resilience.
“It’s just a word, right? But then, when you actually sit back and think on it and what it means… he is inspiring to them, but they’re inspiring to him, so that’s connection, that’s exactly what the means,” Britany said. “They are connected by that word, but also doing the same thing for each other, even though his journey is different than their journey.”
‘I’ve got this’: Seminoles’ unconquered spirit fuels ‘Tough as Trace’ mantra
Despite his circumstances, Trace never drops his positive outlook.
Whether he’s watching sports or a movie, preparing for basketball practice, or gameday with the Seminoles, he maintains his positive mindset in life. Trace has no quit, and he said anyone else who is experiencing something difficult should try and do the same.
“When you think there isn’t a way, keep trying,” Trace said.
“It’s really hard to see your child go through that, but he always remains positive and doesn’t let the small things worry him,” Britany added. “Sometimes he’s the bigger person that tells me, ‘Mom, it’s going to be fine.”
“He’s told me throughout this second transplant, it’s going to be fine, I’ve got this, all is good.”
His relentless mindset plays its part in the family’s “Tough as Trace” mantra, which is also a hashtag that the family uses on social media.
Trace’s journey is far from over, and he’s been in and out of Tallahassee Memorial Hospital since returning from Minneapolis due to complications from a chemo drug, but his journey has opened remarkable doors. For Britany, seeing her son’s joy around the Seminoles program is something she feels is an honor, and she’s thankful for every day Trace gets.
“It’s a whole new season for them, they already have so much to take on, and then being willing to sign this two-year contract to become part of our family, and us a part of their family, it means so much,” Britany said. “Trace doesn’t get to do a lot of his normal stuff, and it’s been a rough couple of years. Just to have more support, to know that these guys care about him, just means so much to us.”
“I like being around them, it’s fun,” Trace added.
Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: ‘Tough as Trace’: FSU basketball welcomes 15-year-old fighter to team
Reporting by Liam Rooney, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
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