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Despite losing lung, city girl now a world-class athlete

Cathy Dobson A 12-year-old Sarnia girl with just one lung has defied the odds and will represent Canada at the world junior cheer championships in Florida next month.
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After losing a lung three years ago, 12-year-old athlete Sammy Kabat is about to represent Canada at the world cheer championships in Florida. Glenn Ogilvie

Cathy Dobson

A 12-year-old Sarnia girl with just one lung has defied the odds and will represent Canada at the world junior cheer championships in Florida next month.

Sammy Kabat was told by doctors she might never walk again, let alone play sports, after undergoing surgery to have a tumour and her left lung removed in 2016, said her mother, Jaime Kabat.

“Sammy was very athletic and was in soccer, baseball, swimming, gymnastics and cheer the year the tumour was detected,” she said.

“After her surgery, they told us she would never do athletics again — and definitely not cheer team.”

But Sammy’s recovery has been remarkable. She began walking while still in hospital and continued to gain strength after returning home.

She missed her teammates at Sarnia’s Bluewater Cheer Athletics, however, and so went to watch them practice.

“I remember feeling sad, sitting on the side and watching,” said the petite Rosedale School student. “I like being challenged and I like cheer a lot, because the people there are my friends.

“So I just tried it again.”

Her coach, Sarah Faubert, said Sammy’s determination is what made the comeback possible.

“She is a great cheerleader. I never for a day thought Sammy wasn’t going to cheer again,” said Faubert, who is also the gym’s co-owner.

She and fellow co-owner and coach Jodie Bore worked with Sammy and her team, but never offered special treatment, according to her mom.

“Her coaches worked with her to slowly build up her stamina. We could see it improved Sammy’s morale too,” she said.

“They never babied her, so the other kids don’t think of her as having one lung.”

A year after the surgery Sammy returned to competition.

“You’d never know she doesn’t have two lungs,” said Faubert. “She shows up and does her job. She does not ask for anything special.”

This year, Bluewater Cheer Athletics collaborated with Power Cheer Gym in London to form a single junior co-ed team with 24 members. Sixteen are from Sarnia.

Sammy and her 15-year-old brother Michael both made the team. Sammy is what’s known as a flyer and is frequently lifted in the air to perform stunts. It requires skill in gymnastics, dance and acrobatics.

Several weeks ago, the junior co-ed team beat all national competitors and will now represent Canada at the 116-member nation International Cheer Union World Junior Championships. The event runs April 24-26 at Walt Disney World in Orlando.

“It is so special to see this team wearing the Team Canada uniform. It doesn’t seem real,” said Faubert.

“I was very excited when I heard we were going to Worlds,” said Sammy.

“We were screaming,” added her mom. “It’s far more than we ever expected. I think she’s just very determined, very stubborn. She does not like to be seen as different.”

Nevertheless, Sammy and her family aren’t certain what the future holds.

Doctors hope her single lung will eventually grow to occupy the empty cavity in her chest.

“She isn’t a candidate for a transplant unless the second lung fails,” Kabat said.

“Right now, her lung is growing but not as fast as she is and that has some complications.

“But the long-term prognosis is very good.”


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