by Bill O'Boyle
Wilkes-Barre Times Leader

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Ras featured in The Times Leader

KINGSTON – On April 20, Jessica Ras took the mound for the East Stroudsburg University Warriors for the first time – some three years later than she expected.

Ras has been in the Warriors' program since the fall of 2008, but wasn't able to compete until this year after being diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia her freshman year.

Wearing her Warriors' jersey with No. 1 on the back, Ras started on the mound and was the losing pitcher.

But for Ras and her supporters, it was a major victory.

Ras, her parents, coaches and teammates celebrated because they knew the significance of the day's event.

While the chemotherapy got her to remission, the steroids she took during therapy caused another problem – her hips were destroyed. Dr. Peter Sharkey of the Rothman Institute in Philadelphia performed surgery on May 11, 2011, replacing Ras' hips with new state-of-the-art titanium prostheses.

“I saw her two months ago and I couldn't even tell she had a hip replacement,” Sharkey said. “Her natural ability and her desire to get better and get back to speed gave her an incredible advantage.”

Sharkey called Ras “the perfect patient.”“She is highly motivated, pleasant and I never heard her complain,” he said. “She inspired a lot of people at the hospital, including me.”

Jill Fuduric, head softball coach at ESU, said Ras has been an inspiration to everybody on the team and anybody who knows her – coaches, students, faculty – even her opponents.

“To see her back on the field on Senior Day – that was the class she was recruited for – and to see how hard she has worked to get where she's at is very inspirational,” Fuduric said.

And it was an emotional day for Ras and her teammates. They all embraced her when she was taken out of the game.

“She's not 100 percent back yet, but that didn't stop her – she accepted the challenge,” Fuduric said. “We are looking forward to having her back at full strength for the 2013 season. Seeing Jess and what she went through makes you not worry about the little things in life.”

Added Fuduric: “It makes all of us realize how lucky we are and how fortunate we all are just to be a part of her life.”