'Become who you were born to be' Harrison Bane '08.5 testament to the power of the human spirit

Author: James Edward Kerrigan

Harrison Bane '08.5 is 18-years-old and you will never guess what he has endured to make it this far.

Doctors discovered adamantinoma, a cancer eating away at the tibia of his right leg, when Harrison was 4-years-old. It took a visit to the doctor following a playground injury to identify this rare type of cancer. Only 250 cases have been documented worldwide. Twelve surgeries later, Bane is still draining 40 foot putts, sinking three-pointers and loving life.

Even as a little kid, Bane's position as he addressed the golf ball looked good. His feet, hips and shoulders were all square. His knees were properly bent. His arms correctly extended. His grip was relaxed. But it was the 11 year backswing that has provided the challenge.

At the age of seven, Bane received his first major surgery: four inches of his tibia (one of two shin bones) was removed and replaced with cadaver bone. The nine months he spent in a cast may seem like a long time, but the doctors had predicted 18 to 24 months.

Whereas most children grow bored with their crutches within a few days, or even a few hours, Bane had fun with them. He could move faster on his crutches than his fellow students could run. Playground myth? No. It is merely his attitude and outlook manifesting itself through his determination.

Three years later, Bane went under the knife to have his right fibula (the other of the two shin bones) removed. To this day he still does not have a fibula in his right leg. When Bane was 12, the cancer re-grew in his tibia. This time, doctors took bone from his hip, and once again he healed successfully. Bane pushed hard to get back to sports.

"It was really hard to sit out sports season. I didn't want people to look at or treat me differently. I just wanted to be Harry," reflected Bane. With a 5-0 individual record during his ninth grade golf season, the screws from a previous surgery were snapping. His lower leg was bent to a 60-degree angle, and more surgery followed.

At the end of his sophomore year in high school, while trying out for an AAU basketball team, Bane stole the ball and raced toward the hoop. He planted his right leg and never took off. His shin snapped in two. More surgery.

Throughout all these surgeries, he was not satisfied with just healing. He wanted to improve. One could find him sneaking out to practice his putting stroke and his swing. This work paid off as he participated on the United States Junior Ryder Cup Team. Perhaps "participating" is an understatement - he was the only player to go undefeated. He played in pain as an infection grew in his leg. Three days after winning his final match, he was back on the operating table. Another surgery. Another recovery.

His attitude has propelled him through the surgeries and his backswing, and into a Brian Souza book, "Become Who You Were Born To Be" (to be released April 11). Bane notes, "Having a positive attitude and accepting what life brings you is what it's all about. Don't feel sorry for yourself. Nothing good can come out of feeling sorry for yourself." This mindset landed him a chapter sandwiched between Lance Armstrong and Garth Brooks. Other feature chapters include Jim Carrey, Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, Mother Teresa and Gandhi. Oh yeah, and Harrison Bane.

Brian Souza's chapter titled "What Really Separates Winners from Losers: Harrison Bane," examines Bane's attitude. Souza writes, "Unfortunate things do happen to all of us. And yes, bad luck does seem to lean more heavily on some people than on others. But the fact is, the world responds to us in the way we choose to have it respond. In effect, we create our own circumstances because 'outlook' governs 'outcome'. We attract what we think about, and like Harry's family, we must avoid slipping into self pity. We must allow gratitude for what we do have to fuel our positive attitude."

As Souza mentions, Bane's family provided much of the support. "Without them I would not be where I am. They would always show me love, but never sympathy. It was just what I needed," said Bane. Rich, Bane's dad, used to tell Bane to "Get it done." Bane applied this methodology to his recovery. This phrase still shows up on his Instant Messenger "away message," and resonates in his mind.

A lot can happen during a backswing. Bane's backswing was long and challenging. He admits that it was difficult to keep moving the club back. But he has learned from these challenges and now understands what it means to persevere. "I know I can get through anything."

Now he is at the top of his swing. His club is parallel to the ground. His body is in an athletic position. He is square to the target. He is set and ready to swing away - to "get it done." Harrison Bane is 18 years old and against all the odds, he is here.