 "Photo: Photo courtesy of USC Sports Information")
The year was 1988. Two days before Thanksgiving.
Carla Walker, who was just 16 years old at the time, had just received the news that her mother Shirley had been diagnosed with breast cancer — a disease that about 210,000 women are diagnosed with every year.
“All I could think about is how much I needed my mom, I couldn’t lose her,” Carla said. “She was so positive, brave and never feared anything through her battle.”
Thankfully for the Walker family, Shirley is now a 21-year survivor of the disease.
“I remember thinking at the time, ‘Okay, if this happens to me, I hope I can be as tough as she is,’” Carla said. “Now that I am a wife and mom, I think about how really scary that had to be for her, although she never let that be known to me or our family.”
Her mother’s hard work has inspired Carla and her husband, USC basketball coach Darrin Horn, to institute the “Darrin Horn Ladies Clinic.”
Going into its second year, the clinic will donate all proceeds from the event to the V Foundation for Cancer Research to assist in the battle against breast cancer. Since its inception, the V Foundation has raised more than $90 million and awarded cancer research grants in over 35 states.
“Darrin and I knew we wanted to be involved in the Columbia community and the Ladies Clinic is one way to do that,” Horn said.
Former N.C. State basketball coach Jim Valvano created the foundation alongside ESPN. Valvano faced a yearlong battle with cancer before it ultimately claimed his life in 1993.
“This is something that my wife and I wanted to do. [Carla] was touched personally,” Darrin Horn said. “We wanted to do something to reach out to ladies in the community. We wanted to do something that would benefit something that we believed in.”
The clinic will take place this Saturday from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at the Gamecock basketball practice facility.
“This year we’ve got some sneak-peek stuff where they get to tour our locker room and we’ve got a special T-shirt,” Darrin Horn said. “They’ll see a special video that they haven’t seen before. All of the things that you can’t get at the games.”
In addition, the first 300 women through the doors will receive a gift certificate from Garnet and Black Traditions at Jewelry Warehouse.
But ultimately, Horn says he hopes attendees will take a couple of things away from his second annual clinic — both educational and fun.
“Learn a little basketball and maybe you enjoy the games more when you do come to the games,” Horn said. “I think the second part, and probably the one we’ve heard the most positive things about, is you get to interact with our players in a way that you don’t get to at a practice.”
Horn joked about last year’s event, which featured an array of questions directed at his Gamecock squad.
“We had a question-and-answer period with our guys last year where they got asked anything from basketball to ‘What’s your favorite food?’ and ‘Why do you do that when you shoot your free throws?’”
The event costs just $10 for students and Carolina Cash is allowed for payment. Check-in for the event is scheduled to commence at 8 a.m. in the main lobby of the practice facility.
In the meantime, Carla Horn has advice for those who currently face the disease.
“Although I have not had breast cancer myself and would never pretend to know exactly what those fighting this disease are going through, I would encourage them to fight the battle, to stay positive and keep fighting, talk to someone who has been through what you’re going through.
“I know my mom has been able to talk to other women who are battling breast cancer and it seems to be very helpful to know that you are not in it alone,” Horn said.
For more questions, contact Holly Moring in the men’s basketball office at (803) 777-4198 or by e-mail at Moringh@mailbox.sc.edu.
For further information on the V Foundation and how you can help, visit www.jimmyv.org or call 1-800-4JIMMYV.
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