Every day is blessing for West Forsyth football player with cancer

Happy 2010 from the AJC's Michael Carvell

For many of us, the holidays and New Year’s are one of the few times that we pause for a moment to reflect on the year gone by.

For others, every day counts as a blessing.

West Forsyth football player Trey Rood is battling life-threatening cancer (Stage IV metastatic melanoma). This week, Rood is on a family ski trip in Breckenridge, Colo., granted by the “Make A Wish” Children’s Foundation. You can keep up with Rood’s progress at PrayForTrey.org.

How is Trey? “He is still doing well,” said his mother, Cherie Rood. “We know the tumor in his left lung is still there, although we go back for another PetScan on Jan. 19 in hopes we’ll see it shrinking. So basically we’re at an unchanged status, but that could be progress or success when the cancer is not growing or spreading either.”

One of Rood’s passions is football. Once upon a time, he had dreams to play for the University of Georgia. The 6-foot-3,  180-pounder was getting some looks from Georgia Southern and Furman before the cancer relapsed last June. Rood still played his senior season, although he missed a few games while in Germany for alternative cancer treatment. His medical bills have run as high as $80,000 per month.

The last month has been good for Rood. He played in the All-Star Rotary Bowl on Dec. 19 with other seniors from Forsyth and Fulton high schools. The hard-hitting Rood was named “MVP Defensive Player” with two interceptions, six tackles and two assists.

And the last week? “You’d never know he has the cancer he has,” his mother said. “He’s out snowboarding every day, tearing down the mountain. It’s awesome to watch him have so much fun …”