While dealing with cancer, Clemson’s Schmidt helping others
Clate Schmidt has wanted to help cancer patients deal with their illness since he lost his grandfather to the disease when he was 12-years-old.
The Clemson right-handed pitcher was reassured of that plan after visiting children in hospitals, but little did he know that process — and how it would play out — would start when he was 21.
He said during a meeting with reporters Tuesday in Clemson that God had a different plan.
“You’re not going to do it later. You’re going to do it now,” Schmidt said about the plan. “That’s something that I’ve taken to heart, trying to help anybody I can because so many people have helped me.”
Schmidt was diagnosed in June with a type-2 Hodgkin lymphoma, a treatable version, and he’s since gained tremendous support and notoriety locally and nationally for his battle with the disease.
“It’s been an incredible journey, whether it’s the lowest of lows or the highest of highs,” said Schmidt, a rising senior. “Just being able to experience with my family, it’s been something that’s been really cool because it’s not just me going through this experience. It’s my entire family.”
Schmidt — whose brother, Clarke, pitches at South Carolina — first discovered a lump on his neck in January. And he didn’t just pass it off as nothing serious. That’s because when he was in high school, he suffered a deviated septum playing basketball and required surgery. He was told then to be aware of infections, so when this health issue didn’t go away, he took action with doctors.
“When you’re 20 years old, you’re 10 feet tall and bullet proof,” Dwight Schmidt, Clate’s father, said. “Nothing bothers you. He really stayed on top of it and he found it early.”
It was so early that the lymphoma has just gone from his neck to his chest, so he’s expected to make a full recovery in time to rejoin his teammates for fall baseball.
Schmidt underwent four chemotherapy treatments over eight weeks this summer. He’ll have a PET scan Wednesday and find out the results Thursday. If it comes back clear, Schmidt would start three weeks of radiation treatment. After that, he expects to be cleared to return to workouts and baseball activities.
“We all attack it as a family and a community and an overall group,” Dwight Schmidt said. “If this story gets out to an individual … if you find something, you’ve got to check it.”
The support and his story getting out to outlets like ESPN has been “mind blowing,” he said. When he was with doctors last month to map out a plan to get him back healthy again, Schmidt received over 2,000 texts and messages on Twitter from people all over the world who are dealing with cancer.
Schmidt said the biggest challenges of this experience has been dealing with constant fatigue, being patient and not being able to do the little things in life. But he’s been able to share his experience with others while also learning about what they’ve gone through. Last week, Chicago Cubs pitcher Jon Lester, who overcame cancer during his pro career, invited Schmidt and his family to Atlanta. The two pitchers talked baseball, life and dealing with cancer during batting practice.
“It was just a great experience for my family to go out there and share that with me,” Schmidt said. “It was something that was really cool to take my mind off (lymphoma).”
Schmidt, who talks to new Clemson coach Monte Lee every day, hasn’t been able to do many baseball activities, other than breaking down his mechanics without a lot of throwing, but Schmidt is one of the few returning arms for Clemson this season. Schmidt, who’s 10-14 with a 4.51 ERA in three seasons, turned down signing with the Boston Red Sox, who drafted him in the 32nd round last month, to return to school for his degree and said one of the motivators throughout his battle with cancer has been getting back on the field when the Tigers begin the season in February 2016.
“My whole thought process through this whole thing is I want to come back and be the Friday night starter,” said Schmidt, who still hears from the Red Sox. “I don’t want to settle for anything less. I want to be able to help lead this team. Now, if coach needs me somewhere else then that’s how it is, but I’m extremely excited on the outlook for this season.”
This story was originally published July 29, 2015 at 12:03 AM with the headline "While dealing with cancer, Clemson’s Schmidt helping others."