By To watch her diving for balls and sprinting down the court, no one would suspect that Lady Saints basketball player Rakiah Grende is a cancer survivor – four years and three months to be exact.
Rakiah, a senior computer science major, vividly remembers the moment when her high school basketball career at Bigfork High School in Montana was interrupted by “a pain in her side.”
“I remember when I started to not feel normal, I guess,” she recalls. “My side hurt and would persist through the day and night. We didn’t know what was going on, but we knew we had to stop it somehow.”
The pain persisted day and night with no true relief. She knew something must be done.
Her mom, who was also her basketball coach – and her biggest cheerleader – immediately sent her daughter to the doctor, who ordered tests.
The test results came back, shattering hopes for something simple, something quick.
“Ovarian cancer,” the doctor told her. “Stage III.
A 12-pound tumor was found obstructing her right kidney. Eight pounds of fluid were taken from her midsection.
And this was only the first of many health scares for 16-year-old Rakiah.
“Chemo sucked. I lost my hair. To be honest, it was difficult after that first procedure because I thought everything was going to be OK and everything would be done,” Rakiah said. “But I was wrong.”
But Rakiah is tough. Her opponents have always known that. Cancer found that out.
Laughing and full of smiles, Rakiah holds her head high as she looks back on the surprise that changed her life. True to form, she doesn’t see her recovery as remarkable – just another annoying opponent to elbow aside.
“I have split my life into two parts,” said Rakiah. “The time before I was sick, and the time after I was sick. It’s sad, but this is really how I have navigated my life so far.”
When the diagnosis arrived, all dreams had to be readjusted. She couldn’t play ball, and, eventually, the Naval Academy would reject her for health reasons.
Live every day like it is your last.
“Everybody was scared and Mom was in tears,” said Rakiah. “So, I tried to cheer them up.”
That optimistic spirit, Rakiah’s trademark, helped heal her spirit and her body.
One treatment at a time, she recovered.
Recovering from health setbacks was not new.
“The two biggest things of my freshman year of high school was I actually tore my plantar fascia at age 15 which was really not fun at all. And I applied to the Naval Academy.”
The process of healing her foot turned out to be a test run for bigger challenges ahead.
“I would have probably gotten more opportunities if I didn’t get sick,” she said. “I love Carroll and every opportunity granted for my career as a basketball and track athlete. I truly could not ask for anything more and am so thankful for the support of my peers every day which makes me live every day to its fullest.”
Sophomore Megan Baxter, a Lady Saints teammate, has known Rakiah since high school. Baxter played for the Thompson Falls Bluehawks, rivals of the Bigfork Valkyries.
Baxter credits Rakiah’s family with a major assist in her comeback.
“Believers. Fighters. Family full of hope,” said Baxter. “That’s how I would describe the family as Rakiah was going through cancer. They believed that she would recover, and they did everything that they could for her to recover.”
Baxter had a front-row seat when Rakiah returned to the court.
“I remember when she came back to playing high school basketball,” Baxter said. “I was so awestruck at how she managed to fully recover and play so strong. Her story is truly incredible. I’m blessed to have her as a teammate and competitor.”
Rakiah knows how much her family sacrificed for her.
“My mom was the head coach for our basketball team and my dad was the assistant coach,” Rakiah said. “So, to be there for me, they had to sacrifice a month of critical time to deal with my sickness during the first little while in Denver. As bad as it sounds, I hated that they were taking time away from what they and I love.”
Rakiah’s mom says the family got through this together. It’s a hard story to share, but one that shows how much love they had for each other.
After rejecting Rakiah for admission, the Naval Academy later reached out to Rakiah.
“I did receive a sort of honor from the Naval Academy. Mom would kill me for this, but I call it a pity nomination. My dream career was to be involved in Naval intelligence, and my body didn’t let me.”
Full of smiles still, Rakiah holds no hate or anger inside.
“My senior year I was scheduled for routine scans which in my eyes was a good step forward along my course,” she recalls. “I remember it being three days until the basketball season would begin. I was so excited for the opportunity to play and gain more experience as I had lost so much time already.”
But that “routine” scan carried unwelcome news.
“I lost more time as my scans showed regrowth from the past three months that I thought was a healing time. The regrowth was obstructing my right kidney once again. They needed to take action sooner than later.”
During her recovery, Rakiah had won a spot on the Carroll basketball team and was looking forward to playing for the Saints. Before getting the second round of scans back, Grende had signed with the team and was fully committed to pouring her heart out on the court for the Carroll College Saints.
Head Women’s Basketball Coach Rachelle Sayers was in full support of Rakiah.
“Rakiah was a very important member to our team,” Sayers said. “She is someone who we could always count on to give her best effort every day. She has battled through many injuries not to mention she is a cancer survivor. Resilient is a very good word to describe her.”
Sayers says Rakiah’s spirit was contagious.
“She is one of the most positive and optimistic people I have ever been around,” Sayers said. “She is very committed and determined in every phase of her life. She is always available to help when needed and challenges all of us to be better in our own lives because of her example and her drive to do the same.”
When Rakiah arrived at Carroll, she was welcomed by a new set of cheerleaders, who knew her story and embraced her immediately.
“As a teammate, Rakiah is without a doubt the hardest working player on the court and the most encouraging,” said Baxter. “It doesn’t matter what we’re doing, she will give 110% in everything she does. Her attitude and love for the game are apparent in every encouraging word she gives her teammates. You couldn’t ask for a better teammate.”
Her teammates see her as resilient and determined.
“She pursues anything that she wants and she dreams big,” Baxter said. “She doesn’t let anything get in the way of something she wants. She is also the kindest person. She is always willing to give someone a helping hand.”
Rakiah has been cancer free for four years, and three months.
She’s now free from the pain and heartbreak.
When she reflects back on this journey, there’s no bitterness, no regret. She keeps repeating how blessed she’s been in so many ways.
She’s got a short simple motto, one packed with memories.
“Live every day like it is your last,” she said.
