Strength from each other

Health problems happen. Any athlete, coach, or parent will tell you that injuries are just a part of the game, and when any kid steps onto the court, walks onto the field, or skates onto the ice, they know the risks they’re undertaking.

But when Watertown High boys’ soccer goalie Joe Keikian was diagnosed with cancer at the end of October, it was an entirely different animal for a regular high school senior and the teammates who stand behind him.

As would be expected from the revelation of such staggering news, the immediate reactions of those around him were of surprise, and shock.

“It was obviously a shocker,” said assistant coach Joe Luciano. “When the kid calls you up and says, ‘Hey Luch, how’s it going?’ Then tells you he has cancer … It’s kind of like, wow. How do you answer that?”

“I went into shock,” said senior captain Raffi De Souza. “He called me up that day, around 6 o’clock, saying that he had some news, and I immediately thought it was good news. And he goes, ‘Raff, I have cancer.’ ”

De Souza was so surprised that he thought it might be a joke. It was only until confirmation from Joe’s mother that he understood the seriousness of the situation.

A lump on Joe’s neck that appeared in mid-October was the first sign, but it wasn’t immediately understood. On Oct. 23, his pediatrician “didn’t like what he saw,” Keikian said. “He told me to go to Boston Children’s Hospital, and I went to the emergency room.”

Head coach Frank Cacia recalled the events of the day of Joe’s diagnosis. 

“At 12:30, they were leaving his pediatrician’s office and heading to Children’s Hospital,” he said. “They — Mrs. Keikian, and Joe — were both pretty worried. Their pediatrician was concerned and wanted him to get checked out.

“At 5:30 p.m., she called me, with the bad news. The devastating news.”

It was on that day, Oct. 23, 2014, that an emergency room visit lasting nine hours and featuring multiple blood tests and X-rays culminated in his first diagnosis.

“I was scared,” Joe said. “I didn’t know what to expect.

Two doctors came into his room, and delivered the news: He had cancer.

“Time stopped for a second,’’ Joe said. “I couldn’t believe what they had just told me.” 

As a very healthy young man, Joe and his doctors are optimistic about his treatment. Joe began his first round of chemotherapy at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston on Oct. 31.

When someone is hit by something as staggering as a cancer diagnosis, the importance of a strong support system cannot be underestimated. Everyone takes on their own role, as everyone shares a different relationship.

“As a teacher at the school, I see Joe every day,” Luciano said. “So it’s different for me [from other coaches] in that I’ve seen him almost every day for years. We’ve built a different sort of relationship, not just player-coach, but teacher-student as well. Every day you come to work and see them and get to know them a little differently.”

Cacia said, “When [Joe’s mother] called, I assured her, we’d be with him every step of the way.

“We’re trying to normalize his place on the team. We’re trying to keep everything as normal as possible. On the days he can be out here with us, he’s here, supporting us.

“We want the next six months to be as normal as possible. And we understand that it’s not going to be. But as long as we can provide support for him, and be here for him, I think that’s the most important thing.”

In Joe’s absence, freshman goalkeeper Dante Cimino has stepped into the role as the Raiders’ starting goalkeeper as Watertown (8-5-5) finished its regular season second in the Middlesex League. The Raiders earned the eighth seed in the Division 3 North sectionals of the MIAA state tournament.

Joe completed his first round of treatment Nov. 3, just in time to be in attendance for his team’s first playoff game against Wakefield at Victory Field.

After falling behind early on, junior Roman Davis slid an inch-perfect pass to De Souza, who fired a shot into the bottom left corner to tie things up at 1.

The roles were reversed later on, when a clever Watertown free kick routine had De Souza playing the provider, assisting as Davis buried the game-winner.

Wakefield goalkeeper Tyler Strauss played a fantastic game for the Warriors, making multiple huge saves, but was helpless to watch Davis’s shot float into the top right corner of his net.

When the final whistle blew, Joe was a part of the celebration, hugging his teammates as they celebrated their 2-1 win.

With the win, the Raiders advanced to face top-seeded North Reading (12-3-3) on the Hornets’ home field on Friday, Nov. 7, at 4 p.m.

Joe, unfortunately, won’t be able to watch his teammates chase an upset, as he has chemo treatment scheduled for that day.

“The first week of every month is ‘aggressive chemo,’ ” he explained. “That’s every day. Then it’s the three Fridays after that [which includes the date of the North Reading game], for a total of 28 cycles… which is the next six months.”

However, though he won’t be in attendance, the Raiders are able to find quite a bit of inspiration in the battle their goalkeeper is fighting.

“For me, it’s definitely a source of inspiration,” said De Souza, “and for the rest of the team it is, too. We’ve been playing really well since we all found out [about his diagnosis], and at this point, we’re just trying to do it for Joe.”

Members of the team began showing their support for their teammate in similar ways, on their equipment and on their bodies. Players have “J.K 1” on their cleats, and some have even shaved their friend’s initials into their hair.

As his teammates take the field Friday, Joe will be stuck back at Dana-Farber, continuing his own fight.

“It sucks that I won’t be there to support these guys who have dedicated the rest of their season to me,’’ Joe said. “It sucks that I have to go and sit in a chair for an hour, being fed medication that feels like it’s killing me on the inside. No teenager should be asked to fight for their life this early.

“But the boys have got this. They know what’s at stake. And — even though I won’t be there physically — emotionally, and mentally, I will be there for them.”

(The Keikian family has set up a fund to defray medical costs. To contribute or for more information, go to https://www.fundraise.com/the-keikian-family/the-joe-keikian-fund.)

  — Nov. 7, 2014–