In a home just north of Stillwater in a nice neighborhood with rolling hills you’ll find the Novaks, a family of five, but this isn’t just any ordinary family, this family has recently overcome their battle with cancer. Mitch Novak, the youngest child in the family, 16, is a sophomore at Stillwater Area High School and was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in the summer of 2014.

Mitch and the rest of his family were in complete and utter shock when they were told he has cancer, they never thought that a disease like cancer would be thriving in a kid like Mitch, a kid who is involved in the community through baseball and hockey and beloved by his friends, family, schoolmates and coaches.

It almost seems as if sometimes the worst things happen to the best people, but needless to say being diagnosed with cancer changed Mitchell’s view on life. “Having cancer makes you realize how life is short and anything can happen to anyone,” Mitch said.

The cancer

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a common form of cancer with more than 200,000 U.S cases per year. It is a type of cancer that starts in the lymphatic system and occurs when the body produces too many abnormal lymphocytes, creating tumors.

Cancer has the ability to tear people and family’s apart, it doesn’t care about who you are, where you come from or how old you are cancer is a relentless disease that puts your body and emotions to the test.

While battling physically with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma Mitch was also battling with the mental aspect of having cancer. Mitch said, “I started to become depressed, I hated the fact that I had cancer and I was so bored of being stuck inside all day long.”

Finding support

Mitch and the rest of his family were constantly worried about the health of Mitch and were troubled by how they were going to pay off the medical bills, but when they needed it most they found support from friends, teammates and the community.

To show support for Mitch, his friends decided that they would all shave their heads with Mitch so he wouldn’t feel different, Mitch’s hockey teammates also raised around $3,000 for him by making t-shirts that said “We Battle Together” which paid for a lot of his medical bills.

Mitch explained, “The team made shirts which paid for a lot of our bills and some of my teammates would visit me in the hospital, which meant a lot to me.”

While Mitch had cancer he continued to play hockey on the Bantam A  team, although he couldn’t make it to every team practice and game, hockey served as a stress reliever for Mitch. He loved to be around the guys having fun in the locker room, in fact he loved the locker room much more than the hospital.

When Mitch stepped on the ice all of his worries would suddenly vanquish and he would forget all about reality. “Hockey allowed me to get my mind off the fact that I had cancer,” Mitch said.

Being in a hospital

While Mitch had cancer he spent most of his time sitting in a hospital bed at Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis. The hospital made him sick, he couldn’t stand being stuck inside all day long with only a TV and an Xbox to keep him entertained. The hospital made him sad and depressed which made him appreciate the occasional visits from his friends much more.

“It was annoying because I couldn’t go anywhere, and it was frustrating that all I could do was watch TV and play video games in bed,” Mitch explained. Friends and family visited Mitch in the hospital as often as they could to keep him company, Mitch added, “People came into my room and visited me and my parents slept in my room every night.”

Cancer-free

After battling with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma for two years, Mitch can finally say that he is cancer-free. Throughout the whole thing Mitch remained positive and not once did he give up, he kept fighting, but he did not fight alone, everyone who helped Mitch to raise money or to make him feel more comfortable fought with him. It meant everything to Mitch to see the kind of love that he received from others while he triumphed cancer.

At age 15, Mitch won his battle with cancer and is now as healthy as can be. “It feels great to be cancer-free,” Mitch said “I’m excited and happy for what’s to come.”

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/non-hodgkins-lymphoma/basics/definition/con-20027792

https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/mitchellnovak

http://www.webmd.com/cancer/lymphoma/default.htm