IndyStar is documentingChase and Sadie Smith's lives as they settle into a new marriage and battle Chase's terminal cancer.
INDIANAPOLIS — Their love story was supposed to be over. The heart-wrenching yetuplifting, bittersweettale of Chase and Sadie Smith. Two high school sweethearts marrying after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
It was supposed to be over in September. As cancerous tumors spread throughout his body, doctors gave Chase three to five months to live at the end ofApril.September was five months. Chase forged ahead.
October came and swim practices started and Chase,once a nationally ranked, elite swimmer, started going to the pool named in his honor to help his dad coach.
He appeared on The Pat McAfee Show and was called "the most kickass human on earth" by the former Indianapolis Colts punter. While Sadie had classes at IUPUI, he went on car rides to nowhere with his cousins, Joey and Sam. On Halloween, Chase and Sadie dressed their English bulldog Dubs up as a unicorn.
October was, as his family calls it, a "bonus month." They didn't know it then,but another bonus month would come and go.
November brought fall photo shoots and more swim practices. Eating his aunt's favorite cheeseburger soup, atrip to Florida and football games. It brought many lazy days on the couch snuggling with Sadie, the woman Chase calls his angel.
And then Thanksgiving, a day when Chase's family was more grateful than ever.Thankful for their time together. Thankful that bonus month three was almost here.
And worried. Chase had some chest pain with crackly breathing and coughing. They prayed itwasnot the tumors closing in on his lungs.
On Monday, Chase went to Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health for scans. What was revealed was unexpected — that's the word Chase's oncologist at Riley, Dr. Melissa K. Bear, used.
Chase's tumors had been progressing rapidly. But the scans on his lungs showed a bit of shrinkage in the tumors. On his abdomen, the tumorswere stable.
"It was exciting and a little unexpected," said Bear, who has treated Chase at Riley since his diagnosis at age 13. "It was great news considering how his tumors were previously growing. It looks like they have slowed down as far as the rate of progression."
The results are key for Chase, a first look since he started on a new chemotherapy. Some of the first good news since his terminal diagnosis from Ewing's sarcomain April.
"This isn’t going to cure him," Bear said, "but this is keeping his cancer under control for the moment."
More moments. That's all Chase and Sadie haveasked for from the beginning. Just a little more time to continue living their love story.
'Just thankful'
For Chase, the results gave him relief. No one outside of the cancer world may understand, but even little bits of good news — even a few more days or weeks — mean so much.
"I was just thankful to know I can relax through the holiday season," Chase said.
His mom, Kelli, said it felt "like the whole world had been lifted from my shoulders and replaced with helium balloons filled with joy."
"We should not be hearing great news like that right now -- this is not how Ewing’s works," she said."But, it is how God works. He can take something so dark and make it beautiful. He can use ordinary people to show the world extraordinary things."
The Smiths'year hasbeen a whirlwind of dark and beautiful. It started in January with a healthy Chase looking forward to high school graduation and swimming in college.
Butin March, that all changed. The tumors that had attackedChase's bodyfor years came back with a vengeance, one attached to Chase'sshoulder, another on his lung, one on his back, another on his hip.By the end of April, Chase had severe pain in his left eye and both sides of his temple.
More scans showed tumorsall over hisskull, in the fluid of the lining of his brain andsurrounding the pituitary gland.
The wedding was planned in four days. Through tears and laughs, creatinga love story for the ages, the couple kissed to seal their vows on April 29. One of their promises: to spend every moment they have left together. Another:to latch onto their faith and God more than ever.
After IndyStar published their story, Chase and Sadie'stale of love went viral. The two were interviewed by dozens of national news outlets and were contacted by people from around the world.
Building a life amid a terminal cancer diagnosis wasn't easy. Their love pulled them through.
In early June, with tumors on Chase's headgrowing, he went to theCleveland Clinic for radiation treatments. The following summer months, Chase had pain and more tumor spread. He spent much of his days sleeping; Sadie was usuallyby his side.
When he decided to start the new chemotherapy, Bear said she was hopeful it would give Chase more time.
"He was previously on no therapy so his tumors were rapidly progressing," she said. "We all expected it to continue on its previous trajectory. At least for now, it's slowed down."
And his therapy isn't encroachingtoo much on his life, she said.
"For Chase, the important thing is his quality of life is good," Bear said. "Of course, we would like to shrink it and have it go away, but hisquality of life is pretty good at the moment."
This week, Chase will havean MRI tolook at the the tumors in his head and near his eyes.
For now, he,Sadie and their families are celebratingthelittle victories.
Their love story was supposed to have ended.It hasn't.
Follow IndyStar sports reporter Dana Benbow on Twitter: @DanaBenbow. Reach her via email: dbenbow@indystar.com.
