Madeline Schneider had a vision for her senior year at Apex High School: homecoming in the fall, finishing her soccer career in the spring, and walking across the stage at graduation before heading to North Carolina State University.

But just before her school year started, the path to get there took an unexpected turn. 

“Around July-August, a few of my friends and family noticed I had been losing a little weight,” Schneider said. “I was eating healthy, and in the few weeks before school started I was at soccer tournaments. I was a little tired and thought maybe I was just out of shape.”

She also began experiencing periodic fevers. Her parents noticed her symptoms and scheduled a doctor’s appointment for her. 

“I had a bunch of blood work done, and my pediatrician called and said they wanted me to get a chest x-ray, and then they called back and said they wanted me to get a CT,” Schneider said. “That’s when they found a mass in my chest.”

The 18-year-old athlete said one of her lymph nodes was removed for a biopsy. Shneider said her first hope was that the mass was benign. 

“It was kind of overwhelming, I didn’t know what to think,” she said. “I tried to just stay calm.”

In October, Schneider was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma, a cancer in the lymphatic system. It is often curable when caught early, and is the most common cancer diagnosed in people between ages of 15 and 19, according to the American Cancer Society. 

Schneider began chemotherapy one day after getting her biopsy results. The teen recalls getting a PICC line placed in her arm, which is a type of catheter used to deliver chemotherapy. 

“I feel like everybody talks about chemo like it’s this big thing, but really I was just sitting there,” the teen joked about keeping her spirits high during treatment. “I had some complications and had to get a drain put in.”

Schneider was eventually released from the hospital and returned every two weeks to Duke Children’s Hospital for chemotherapy. She underwent 12 rounds in total.

Schneider said she was excited to return to school and see her friends. 

“I never thought I would be excited to say I wanna go back to school, like I never thought I would say that. I’m really excited to finish,” she said. “I still get like a month and a few weeks of school left and a few games left on soccer. I’m excited. I thought I played my last soccer game like a few months ago.”

The teen’s last chemotherapy appointment was on April 13. A week later, Apex High School teamed up with Apex Friendship High School to raise money ahead of their rivalry game to support Duke Children’s Hospital. 

Apex High School Women’s Soccer Head Coach Mike Dixon said the schools raised $3,000 to give back to the hospitals through ticket sales and a 50/50 raffle.

“I think it’s a fabulous thing that Apex and Apex Friendship are rivals on the field, but both of us care so much about giving back,” Dixon said. “I give a lot of credit to Coach Matt Pugliano with Apex Friendship, when he heard about Madeline, he reached out and said, ‘Do you want to do something for her this year at our game?’”

Both teams wore purple shirts reading #kickcancer during warm ups. The teams also smiled for a photo on the field after Schneider thanked the crowd for supporting her care team. 

Schneider also thanked Dixon and the coaching staff for their encouragement. 

“It means a lot. I wouldn’t be able to get back on the field if it wasn’t for him pushing me in practice,” Schneider said. “I’m really grateful.”

Dixon said he has been inspired by Schneider’s perseverance, adding that her determination is a motivation for all the other girls in the program. 

“It’s just an incredible example of determination and hard work,” Dixon said. “It shows you what hard work and pure belief and a lot of prayer can do for you. It’s just amazing. There have been tears and celebration.”

Her medical team agrees: Schneider is an inspiration. 

“Madeline endured over six months of chemotherapy treatments and multiple hospitalizations for the treatment of her Hodgkin lymphoma,” said Dr. Kyra Leigh McCarty, an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Department of Pediatrics at the Duke University School of Medicine. “Throughout the entire process, she has been kind, resilient and, most of all, motivated to return to soccer as soon as possible.”

Ahead of the game, Dixon said playing Apex Friendly would be a fight – but said the community has already won. 

“The score doesn’t matter; she has won already,” Dixon said. “I hope we can take the determination and grit that she’s shown and pour that onto the field in her honor. I also hope these ladies see how we are making a difference for Duke Health, and that they can carry this forward in their life and make a difference in somebody else’s life down the road.”

Schneider was a captain and started the game. The teams tied 0-0 in overtime.