This Thursday, Oct 4, the PHS girls volleyball teams will join together to help fight pediatric brain tumors. Palatine girls volleyball will compete against Fremd at home to raise money for the Maeve McNicholas Memorial Foundation. Maeve was the cousin of Palatine’s sophomore girls volleyball coach Doherty.

Maeve was born in 2002, she was a very healthy child and a ray of sunshine to her family and friends. On July 25, 2004, Maeve went to a family party and started to throw up. The next day she was still sick, which began to raise concerns. She was taken to the ER and it was soon discovered that she had a significant mass inside her brain. She later passed on July 29th, less than 36 hours of being diagnosed. Maeve was only 26 months old.

Pediatric brain tumor is very difficult to detect, the symptoms are very similar to common childhood illnesses. Symptoms include vomiting, headaches, seizures, and lack of childlike energy. Brain tumors are the leading cause of death for children in the United States, each year over two thousand children are diagnosed.

“I am most looking forward to a night with a lot of energy honoring the spirit of Maeve,” Sophomore coach Doherty said. “I am excited to spread the awareness to families throughout the community and beyond the city of Palatine. It’s also really special since my family from the south side of Chicago will be attending”.

She is overjoyed by the two teams coming together to support Maeve.

“I am so lucky to have such supportive co-workers, coaches, and athletes.” Doherty said. “It is really special that the girls picked Maeve’s Foundation out of the list of suggestions I gave them for a fundraiser. It shows how two highly competitive teams can show how big their hearts are”.

This isn’t Doherty’s first time running a Maeve McNicholas Foundation fundraiser. When she was a senior at Fremd, she held a fundraiser where they raised over one thousand dollars.

Let’s beat that this year!

Come support your lady pirates this Thursday to help raise money for the Maeve McNicholas foundation. JV plays at 5 and Varsity plays at 6. There will be baked goods, lots of raffles, chuck a duck, and more. Come support your girls volleyball teams and this wonderful cause and don’t forget to wear gray for the games in support of Maeve!