Brutus' Story of Courage, Grace and Positivity Through it All
12/4/2018 12:00:00 AM | The People
by Brett Rybak
One's college years are often a fun, exciting and adventurous yet somewhat uncertain time. Trying to figure out life on your own while balancing classwork, extracurricular activities and relationships with old and new friends can be challenging for anyone who experiences it.
To say Gabe Gemberling went through, learned from and smiled through all of these life changes would be an understatement of epic proportions.
Now in his fifth year at Ohio State, Gemberling became a member of the Ohio State spirit program as Brutus in May 2017.
"I became involved in Brutus through my girlfriend Lexi Schilling, who's on the cheerleading team," Gemberling said. "At the time, she had friend staying with her over winter break because her dorm was closed and her friend's boyfriend was Jeremy Hitchens, who already was a Brutus. Jeremy and I immediately hit it off. He wanted to work with me to get involved with the program and Brutus, telling me what tryouts would be like and what to be ready for."
A year after Gemberling first became a member of the program, nothing could prepare him for what he would have to get ready for next. After initially thinking his shoulder had been popping out of socket, Gemberling was visiting his brother, Nathan, in California when his sister-in-law, a physical therapist, noticed what Gemberling thought was his shoulder popping out was something different completely and suggested he visit an athletic trainer once back in Columbus.
"Once I came back to Columbus, I went to visit Maddie Biehl, who was my athletic trainer," Gemberling said. "I showed her what was going on and she had never seen anything like it. As she looked at it, Jeff Deits, Maddie's supervisor, just happened to be walking out of his office to go home for the evening and came over to see what was going on. He immediately directed me to get an x-ray."
After having the x-ray the following morning and not thinking much of it, Gemberling met with Dr. Grant Jones, a team physician at Ohio State, who said he needed an MRI to determine what a noticeable growth on his right arm might be.
Shortly after, Gemberling was on a conference call with Dr. Thomas Scharschmidt, a surgical oncologist who treats patients with musculoskeletal cancer at The James.
"I hated his guts at the time," Gemberling admitted. "I couldn't believe I was working with an oncologist but I had no idea the relationship that would come of it. He told me it was periosteal osteosarcoma, which is an aggressive-growing tumor. At the time, the tumor was about eight centimeters, a little bigger than a baseball, and was growing directly off my humerus."
After a visit home to see family and a call with his brother in California, Gemberling was adamant of one thing.
"My big thing was that I kept telling them I wasn't going to even learn the name of the cancer because I was going to beat it before ever learning the name of it. That was just me being stubborn but I told them what was going on and that I wasn't going to have to receive chemotherapy, which seemed to settle my family members down a bit."
"One awesome thing about being a student-athlete at Ohio State is how easy it is to get in for an appointment. I went in and got the MRI done three hours later," Gemberling added. "I went back to the Schottenstein Center, where the Spirit Squad receives treatments, and had a talk with Deits and Dr. Jones. They asked if my parents could make it down to campus. That's when I started to get a little tense."
Pam Schopp, Gemberling's mom, was down to the Jameson Crane Sports Medicine Institute on campus within hours but the news once everybody gathered was devastating.
"We sat down and Dr. Jones said I had a tumor and it was malignant," Gemberling said. "I kind of just looked at him and everybody around me. My mom and my girlfriend started crying. I paced around the room a little bit and it just hit me how quickly your life can change."
Gemberling had his first surgery May 31, came out in a sling and spent the next few weeks laid up at home from surgery. However, after going back and receiving more scans in mid-July, doctors determined the tumor was more aggressive than initially thought and they would need to perform another surgery. Soon.
Gemberling was ready.
"I went in for surgery July 19 and they ended up taking out a huge part of my arm," Gemberling said. "They cut my humerus in half and insert a cadaver donation. At this point, they were still focusing on my arm fusing together with a huge plate that goes down the back of my arm along with 12 or 13 screws. They initially planned on putting a rod down my arm but when they tried, my humerus split and they couldn't do it. So they were able to think on the fly, pull the rod out, and fused everything together with the cadaver bone."
As painful as that was, Gemberling looks back and considers all of the support he received through the process.
"My demeanor toward everything at the start was not great," Gemberling admitted. "I hated the doctors. I wanted to put the blame on them but in reality, they were just the bearers of bad news. Jeff (Deits) took me under his wing like nobody else would have. He would text me every hour of the day leading up to my surgery to see how I was doing and if there was anything he could do. He wanted to know not only what he could do for me but what he could do for my family. I really didn't have that relationship with him before. He was in charge of the cheer program and oversaw Maddie (Biehl) but it was great to see just how passionate he was about his job and how seriously he took the situation. I can't say enough good things about him. He genuinely cares so much about every student-athlete he has, whether they're with basketball, hockey or cheer."
Deits was just as impressed with Gemberling's demeanor since the initial diagnosis.
"I appreciated how positive he was throughout the whole process," Deits said. "We saw him at the initial diagnosis but from that point on, he decided he was going to fight and be positive. That's something from the outside that maybe he didn't see. It was emotionally difficult for everybody else in his family and all of us around him but he was able to take it in stride and has been unbelievable from the start."
Gemberling also still stays in touch with Biehl, who has moved on to become an assistant athletic trainer at the University of Northern Colorado.
"Maddie's been unbelievable, too," Gemberling added. "She deserves a ton of credit for not only helping me but our entire team. We still talk. She still wants to help me through this and the relationship's been great."
Dr. Scharschmidt also thinks Gemberling deserves much of the credit for his outlook from the get-go.
"Gabe's a very positive-minded person in general but dealing with a cancer diagnosis puts that to the test," Scharschmidt said. "Going through all of it, he remained incredibly positive throughout the entire time. He has been one of the more positive people we've worked with because he always looked for the good through all of it."
Gemberling who currently is going through rehab with a physical therapy oncologist specialist twice a week, will still have scans every three months. His last scan in October was encouraging and Gemberling believes he's on the right track despite the moments of frustration.
"Everybody's just focused on my arm to make sure that bone morphs together," Gemberling said. "My chest is clear but it's a really slow process. You go from being with your team to work out and practice all week to not even being able to lift a pencil so it's frustrating."
However, Amy Compston, Gemberling's physical therapy oncology specialist at The James, sees Gabe progressing well since starting rehab with him in September.
"With complicated surgeries like what Gabe had, it's important to have a multi-disciplinary approach to integrate athletic performance along with the physical therapy side," Compston said. "Once Gabe could start using weights, we worked with Jeff Deits on an exercise program so he can be back in the gym to work out with the team. Gabe has done everything we've asked him to do at the facility and at home, which isn't always easy. He has a functional range of motion right now and continues to get better each week. Gabe's progressing beautifully."
Despite the diagnosis being one of the most difficult parts of life, Gemberling looks at it as a blessing that has opened doors for him and allowed him to cross paths with people to help create change for the better. Gemberling has discovered a major role raising more than $5,000 for Steps for Sarcoma, an organization that strives to bring patient, family and community sarcoma awareness and education by raising orthopedic sarcoma pilot research funds used to promote improved patient outcomes and ÂÂquality of life.
Gemberling also has grown close to Doug Ulman, CEO of Pelotonia, and has worked out an "unofficial mentorship," often calling him about anything pertaining to his rehabilitation and his desire to create change and awareness since his diagnosis.
"Gabe is a phenomenal human being and he has displayed such courage and grace throughout his journey," Ulman said. "He continues to have the biggest smile and the most positive attitude even in the face of such adversity. He is wise beyond his years and it is an honor to call him a friend. Gabe's future is so bright and he will impact the lives of so many through his generous spirit and demeanor."
Gemberling also was introduced to the people at Next Gen James Ambassadors, which is an organization of young adults who are really passionate about fundraising for cancer, especially for adolescent research.
"I went to the first meeting and realized it was full of people who were fully about supporting The James and cancer research," Gemberling said. "Within the organization, we have a survivorship board and I've met so many great people through that."
Through his position, Gemberling has been selected, along with Dr. William Farrar, interim CEO of The James, and LaDonna Solove, to speak at The James Ambassadors Society Evening of Thanks Dec. 4.
In addition, Gembering has made such strides in his recovery that he was selected by his coaches to help lead the Buckeyes on to the field for their game against Michigan Nov. 24. Gemberling was given the opportunity at a surprise celebration by his coaches, teammates, family and friends at Ohio Stadium Nov. 23.
"That weekend was the closest I'll ever come to being the lead character in a movie," Gemberling said. "Words will never describe the emotions. I never imagined I would have the possibility to experience that moment, especially with my family being on the field with me."
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Without a doubt, Gemberling has become an inspiration for all who have crossed paths with him and he continues to use his platform to encourage others who are going down the same road.
"I always tell people with cancer, it's always two steps forward and one step back but you always cross the finish line," Gemberling said. "That finish line is different for everybody but through all of it, I've been introduced to so many people who are so amazing. I've met them through The James, through the athletics department and everywhere else along the way. I look back and feel grateful that this diagnosis happened to me because I've been afforded help that many people don't have. The department was there for me all along the way and helped keep me upbeat throughout."
