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RIVERTON -- Many of life's biggest lessons come from children. But over the past few months, several boys on a local football team have been learning something so valuable it trumps their first place trophies.
The Riverton Gremlins had their game faces on last Saturday. After all, it was Halloween, and their coach approved.
"Football is a disguise, in my opinion, to teach life lessons," said Coach Frank Campbell.
And what a lesson the 8- and 9-year-olds are learning, not only about playing football, but playing and fighting for someone else.
"She's our No. 1 fan," Campbell said. "Wind, rain, snow, cold, hot, sick, not; she's there."
"She" is 56-year-old Sally Vranes, affectionately known by the players as 21-G; 21 for the jersey number of her grandson, Braxton, and the "G" is for grandma.
"She's the best grandma on earth, that's what I think," Braxton Byrge said.
"Every week, one will come up and give me a tap and say, ‘21-G, that tackle was for you.' '21-G, that run was for you.' ‘Did you see me, 21-G?' I just love it," Vranes said.
"I thought I would come to one game and participate, and all of a sudden I come to every game. I can't miss," Vranes explained.
And so far, 21-G hasn't missed a game, despite the fact she has terminal cancer.
"In 2006, I found I had a tumor on my ovary," Vranes said. "It turned out to be a volleyball-sized tumor in my stomach."
Once it was removed, Vranes thought the danger was over. But one month later, doctors found a tumor on her neck, which was also removed. The next year, the cancer had spread to her bones.
"And then this year, I found it had spread to my liver. So, that's where I'm at right now," Vranes said.
"She's actually letting us show people that we think she's an amazing person, and she's doing something amazing by trying to fight so long for us," her daughter, Katie Byrge, said.
And in return, the boys are fighting for Vranes and dedicating the season to her.
"21-G is supportive," Mitchell Curtis said. "She's helped us throughout our season."
"It's just, like, an honor to me that she can come to our games even though she gots cancer," Hunter Hellander said.
"I could stay home on Saturdays when I don't feel great, and I just don't want to. I've got to come here for the boys," Vranes said.
This past Saturday, her boys won their game and finished the regular season 9-0. She brought nine balloons in their honor. In return, the boys will honor her by learning a life lesson they won't soon forget.
E-mail: kaiken@ksl.com
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