Volleyball is different for Federico without Mom there

Nikki Federico need only look down at the letters "C-Fed" written on her right wristband to know that Mom is with her.

When the Neuqua Valley senior is frustrated on the volleyball court, they are her inspiration.

Mom is there for her.

Volleyball is in the Federico blood. Christine, Nikki's mom, played at Downers Grove North and later starred at Illinois State. She coached a national championship Sports Performance club team. She volunteered as an assistant at Neuqua, where oldest daughter Nikki is a four-year varsity player.

She was always in the gym.

Now Mom cannot always be there. Nothing hurts more than that.

It was last Easter that Christine started to feel fatigued, her skin jaundiced. After a family birthday party Nikki insisted that her mom go to the hospital to get checked out. Tests showed that her hemoglobin count was very low.

A week in the hospital, and a bone marrow biopsy test came back with jarring news. Christine was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic syndrome, a disease that affects the bone marrow and blood. In MDS red blood cells that carry oxygen to the brain do not replenish. Good cells are eaten by bad cells.

"I had always been one to be active in the gym," Christine said, "but I was wiped out."

Christine endured a seven-day induction phase of chemotherapy. She has been through three rounds of chemotherapy.

Doctors at Loyola University Medical Center first were not certain how to treat Christine, how her body would react to the chemotherapy. She recently received word there may be a donor for a bone marrow transplant.

"We'll keep our fingers crossed that this person is a match," Christine said, "and we don't have to look further."

Christine is hopeful a transplant could happen in 6-8 weeks. After a recovery time she should be fine.

It has not been easy, not being there for her kids.

Rarely can Christine leave home. The chance of infection makes it too risky. She had to quit coaching at Sports Performance. She was forced to miss all those Neuqua games.

A single parent of Nikki and her 13-year-old sister, Katlyn, it is Nikki who shops for groceries. No nights out for dinner. Nikki drives Christine to Loyola 2-3 times a week when she's not in school. It is Nikki who constantly talks to Katlyn, like a second mother. It is Nikki who texts Christine between classes to check on how she's doing.

It's Nikki, this time, who is there for mom.

"It's actually made her grow up a lot faster," Christine said.

Nikki admitted she wasn't herself for some time. She fell behind in her school work and had to work her way back. At a tournament in Florida with Sports Performance, Nikki broke down. Her coach offered a ticket back to Illinois. Then she thought of what Mom would want.

"My first impression was I want to stay with my team," Nikki said. "I did have to grow up a lot."

Now Nikki, who always aspired to be a teacher before, wants to be a nurse. Mom hasn't been able to make college trips with her, but Nikki plans to play volleyball in college.

Christine will see her play again.

She had to wear a protective mask, but she was in the gym Tuesday night to watch Nikki play Waubonsie Valley. Christine hopes to be back for Senior Night.

"That's what I miss the most," she said, "is not being there for my kids."

Christine's extended volleyball family has been there for her, too.

Families from the Sports Performance club cook meals for the Federicos every other night. Next month Sports Performance will hold a charity bean bag tournament. Funds from the event will go to cover the medical expenses that Christine's insurance does not pick up. A bone marrow transplant runs roughly $200,000, not including the hospital stay and prescriptions.

Family, Christine said, has been a godsend.

"You think you're going through it alone," she said, "but you're not."

The Christine Federico Bean Bag Tournament is from 5-9 p.m. Oct. 11 at the Great Lakes Center in Aurora. The cost is $50 per team of two. To register go to www.greatlakescenter.com and click on the tournament link. There will be a registration form to mail in.

jwelge@dailyherald.com