Advocacy and athletics drive sarcoma survivor

A sarcoma journey led to new passions and pursuits for survivor Laquinta Haynes, who found her voice raising awareness and support for care and research.

Lingering injuries from a car crash eventually led to cancer screening for Laquinta Haynes, who received a shocking diagnosis that would change her life in unexpected ways.

“My initial reaction when I received the osteosarcoma diagnosis was just shock,” Haynes says. “I couldn't believe it was me getting a cancer diagnosis.”

Click here to learn more about sarcoma, including risks, symptoms and treatment options at The Ohio State University.

Sarcomas are relatively rare cancers, but they disproportionately affect younger patients who, like Haynes, in her late 20s at the time of her diagnosis, often don’t have cancer on their radars. For many sarcoma patients, the immediate impact on their lives is especially jarring due to the frequency of amputations during treatment. Haynes’ left leg was removed soon after her diagnosis.

“I was such a downer. I didn’t even want to see the daylight in my hospital room,” she says.

To help adjust to her new normal, Haynes dedicated herself to new pursuits, two of which — sarcoma advocacy and adaptive sports — would soon become personal passions that would change her life for the better.

“I want to be a person that shows what life after cancer can look like,” she says. “I want to be the opposite of what people think when they hear ‘cancer.’”

Click to learn more about cancer research at the OSUCCC – James.

Haynes is an active advocate for sarcoma survivorship, traveling around the world to compete in adaptive soccer and basketball, continuing a journey that began with encouragement from her care team at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James).

“I went to Australia, Romania Poland — I'm headed to Colombia in November to play for the first-ever USA Women's Amputee soccer team,” she says. “That's a prideful moment for me, and none of this would be possible if it wasn't for the nurses that didn't give up on me.”

Haynes active lifestyle extends beyond the field and court to the streets of Columbus, where she takes a vocal role in the OSUCCC – James’ Steps for Sarcoma walk, an annual event that raises funds for sarcoma research at Ohio State.

“Steps for Sarcoma is very important because it gets patients and survivors together,” she says. “They say sarcoma is rare, but at Steps for Sarcoma, you see a lot of people.”

Haynes believes in going above and beyond to support her fellow survivors, serving as an example of the possibilities for life after treatment.

“I want to speak to the me's of the world,” she says. “I'm learning that there's a lot of stuff possible after cancer.”

Click here to register for the Steps for Sarcoma walk on September 15, 2024.