After overcoming leukemia at a young age, the Whitman-Hanson Regional High School long-distance runner focuses on helping youngsters and hopes to become a pediatric nurse.
WHITMAN — She has very little recollection of the traumatic experience that took place beginning in the winter of 2003.
Julia Cosgrave of Whitman had not even celebrated her third birthday when doctors diagnosed her with acute lymphoblastic leukemia
“I just remember little bits of it,” said Cosgrave, now a senior at Whitman-Hanson Regional High School, “but not really a lot.”
Through the years, though, Cosgrave has asked plenty of questions and done lots of research, so she has a pretty good idea of what the ordeal that lasted until she was 5 years old was like.
She knows that she was diagnosed in February 2003 and has down pat the exact date she was found to be cancer-free in 2005.
“This March 15th,” says Cosgrave, “will be 13 years.”
In those 13 years, Cosgrave has grown to become a teenager who is just a few months shy of graduating from Whitman-Hanson and moving on to the next chapter of her life.
She has developed into a standout long-distance runner for the Panthers, earning Enterprise All-Scholastic honors for the 2017 cross country season, with the winter and spring track & field seasons still to go.
On top of overcoming leukemia at such an early age, Cosgrave has become one of Whitman-Hanson’s leading runners despite having a hole in her heart, a condition that may have been the result of chemotherapy.
Through it all, Cosgrave has maintained a positive outlook, focusing on helping others rather than dwelling on what she went through.
“I try to live life to the fullest every day,” said Cosgrave. “I like to go and have as much fun because life is short.”
She has been named the Patriot League Sportsmanship Award winner twice, is a peer tutor at the high school and works with Best Buddies, which helps those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Cosgrave’s goal is to become a pediatric nurse and work at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, where she spent so much time as a youngster getting help from doctors and nurses and other care givers.
“That’s the dream,” said Cosgrave, who also hopes to do some motivational speaking. “That’s my No. 1.
“I always wanted to work with kids. I want to pay back after what I’ve been through so I’ve decided I want to become a nurse.”
Battling the illness: Julia Cosgrave was an active young child, but when she was 2 years old, something wasn’t quite right.
“She started spiking fevers and was in and out of the pediatrician’s office five times in 11 days,” said her mother, Karen Cosgrave. “Every time we went in, they found something else.
“She went from being this bubbly kid to a bump on a log in a matter of two weeks.”
Blood tests revealed the leukemia, and Julia was sent to Children’s Hospital in Boston, where she spent 28 days starting in February 2003.
The daughter of John and Karen Cosgrave underwent two years of chemotherapy, making multiple trips to Dana-Farber.
“It was awful,” said Karen Cosgrave. “She’s my first born. It was really a tough time for all of us.”
But Julia Cosgrave proved to be a fighter, even at such a young age, and overcame the illness.
The older she became, it was obvious that Cosgrave was going to be all about helping others.
Even now, when she goes back to Dana-Farber in the summer for the routine checkup, she will meet young cancer patients.
“I kind of, like, encourage them,” said Cosgrave. “I have a special dance that I do that I did when I was going there (as a patient). I try to be really positive.”
She is looking at UMass Boston, Bridgewater State University, Curry College and the University of Rhode Island to study nursing.
“She’s so driven,” said Karen Cosgrave. “After everything she’s been through, she’s all about everybody else.
“She loves working with kids. It was just something she was always drawn to.”
“She’s the greatest kid I know. She’s a wonderful kid, a parent’s dream. She really is.’’
Running career: Julia Cosgrave began to run as a sixth-grader, following in the footsteps of her mother.
She has been a member of the cross country and track & field teams at Whitman-Hanson for four years, showing continuous improvement.
This past fall, Cosgrave finished second in all seven meets for the Panthers. She has qualified for state meets in track & field where she runs the mile, two-mile and 1,000.
“In both indoor and outdoor track, Julia has been our most consistent long-distance runner, scoring consistently in the mile and two-mile events,’’ said
W-H coach Steve George. “Over the years she has dropped her mile time from 6:24 to 5:41 and in the two-mile from 14:25 to 12:28.
“As an athlete, Julia has proven to be durable and tough during her four years. Among her peers, she is charming and compassionate. When competing she is outgoing and friendly until the gun goes off, then she is all business until she crosses the finish line.’’
Cosgrave, who is closing in on her 18th birthday, regularly sees a cardiologist because of the heart condition, but has no problems running.
“It kind of motivates me,” said Cosgrave, who runs six days a week. “Eventually if it becomes a problem, I’ll have to get a device for my heart. But right now, it’s OK.”
A heart muscle could have been affected by the chemotherapy at such a young age, causing the heart issue.
“I like running because it kind of clears my mind,” said Cosgrave, who dropped her cross country time nearly nine minutes during her career. “If I have school stuff going on, it’s a stress reliever.”
Providing motivation: George had no idea what Cosgrave had been through when she reported to the cross country team as a freshman in the summer of 2014.
“One of the things we do when making introductions among the student-athletes is to ask them to tell the others their name, grade, sport and something people might not know about them,” said George. “Julia told us about having had leukemia and some of the related problems accompanying her illness as a young child.
“My reaction was, and remains, that she is a remarkable kid. She has overcome things none of her teammates nor any of the staff have experienced. Julia rarely misses a practice and never misses a competition. It has been a pleasure to coach her these past four years.”
Turning such a negative into a positive by reaching out to help others is the path Julia Cosgrave took after dealing with illness before she even knew what was going on.
“I’m hoping when I’m older that I can become a motivational speaker for people who are going for treatment,” said Cosgrave. “I want to help kids be more positive and be more motivated.”