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MAGNA — Kopa Iole Siatunu'u battled breast cancer for 14 years. She never let it keep her from watching her sons Albert and A.J. Semeatu play sports at Cyprus High School.
“She was very caring, sweet, uplifting,” A.J. said “Everyone would be sad but she would always be the one with a smile on her face, even though she was in pain.”
Kopa’s long battle came to an end just two days after Christmas, leaving the boys without the most important person in their lives.
Thanks to support from the community, the family is getting through a very difficult time.
“We had our mom’s funeral and everyone showed up,” Albert said. “We just saw how many lives she touched. We weren’t surprised, but at the same time, we were. It’s a small community, which is great because we all have heart and we stick together. I think that’s what stood out the most for us, which helps us get through these hard times.”
That support has extended beyond their community. The Judge Memorial boys’ basketball team learned of the family’s loss and wanted to show their support. Before tip-off of a varsity basketball game between Judge and Cyprus on Jan. 28, Judge Captains presented Albert and A.J. with a card at midcourt, a touching gesture that received a standing ovation. Both teams wore pink shoelaces in honor of Kopa and all who have been impacted by breast cancer.
She was very caring, sweet, uplifting. Everyone would be sad but she would always be the one with a smile on her face, even though she was in pain.
–A.J. Semeatu
“I tried not to be emotional about it,” A.J. remembered. “I wanted to cry. It was something so simple. Something as simple as that can touch me and (Albert).”
Sean McMinimee was one of the three Judge Captains.
“That was kind of one of those moments where you’re like, wow, this is something really big,” Sean said.
The moment was emotional for Sean, because he knows what Albert and A.J. are going through.
“I lost my dad my sophomore year of high school,” he said. “I don’t know if they knew it at the time, but I truly knew what they were feeling and I knew how hard it would be to come out and play a basketball game, of all things. I know during that time that might not be one of the things you want to do. Tremendously brave of those guys, and it shows what type of kids they are. They both gave it their all.”
Kopa moved her family from Samoa to Utah in search of a better education for her children. Completing their education is how they plan to honor their mother.
“Every time I step on the court, whenever coach calls and says, 'A.J., you’re up,' I just tell him, 'A.J., do it for mom,' ” Albert said. “Our life is my mom’s entertainment, and I want to see her smile. That was just our goal, to make her happy and keep that smile on her face. What we can do is take what she taught us in the short time we had and apply it through our lives and teach it to our children.”
