Gold-medal performance in sports and life

By Maureen Gilmer, Riley Children’s Health senior writer, mgilmer1@iuhealth.org

Vivian Eagle is caught in a moment of joy – swaying and twirling with little girls to the tune of “Let It Go” in the Child Life Zone at Riley Hospital for Children.

The song’s message plays like an anthem for the two-time cancer survivor, Purdue University student and gold medal winner in the Youth ParaPan American Games in Santiago, Chile.

“It's funny how some distance makes everything seem small
And the fears that once controlled me can't get to me at all
It's time to see what I can do
To test the limits and break through
No right, no wrong, no rules for me
I'm free”

Vivian, who turns 20 next month, is flying high after years of grueling chemotherapy, surgery and redefining her life in the wake of an osteosarcoma diagnosis when she was 15.

She visited Riley last week to participate in an Olympics-themed party, talking with kids about their fights and fears and showing them how to reclaim their joy in the face of the unknown.

“I remember sitting in my hospital bed, and I was so tired and so weak, and I didn’t know where life was going to take me at that point,” the Avon High School graduate said.

The multi-sport athlete, who is seen by Riley oncologist Dr. Kyle Jackson and the palliative care team, had not wanted to hear what the doctors told her then – that she would never be able to play volleyball or basketball or run track again.

While the cancer in her leg was removed, so was most of her tibia, replaced by a metal prosthetic that limits running and jumping.

She remembers staring out her hospital window, feeling like the world was moving on without her.

“Sports was my identity. After my diagnosis, I felt like there was nothing left for me. I had zero motivation; I was just really sad.”

With support from her parents, Katrina and Ryan Eagle, her faith and her nurses, who she said became her best friends, she weathered many dark days and nights. A visit from Olympic swimmer Cullen Jones during the USA Swim Trials in 2024 in Indianapolis also put a smile on her face.

After months of grieving the life she had, she began to embrace her new life – still a competitive athlete but in the world of adaptive sports.

It started with a visit to an adaptive skiing program in Colorado, where she initially resisted the idea of sitting down while skiing and being tethered to an instructor. Soon enough though, she was on her own going down those hills, and it opened her eyes to new possibilities.

“That skiing experience showed her she doesn’t have to sit on the sidelines,” Katrina Eagle said of her daughter. “It really opened up the world of adaptive sports for her.”

What followed was an introduction to sitting volleyball, a fast-paced Paralympic team sport that she didn’t even know was a thing.

She was hooked, training tirelessly and qualifying for the ParaPan American Games last November.

“After I got healthy again, it was just amazing. It showed that there were all these doors opening and you just have to look for them,” she said.

Training and competing at a high level helped her find her joy again.

“It gives me something to work toward and it makes me just happy to live, I guess. I want to show other kids that they can find that joy.”

Vivian, who relapsed a year after her first course of treatment, went through another series of chemo and radiation treatments and has been cancer-free for nine months. She says she feels good, continuing to train and work toward a degree in biomedical engineering, with an additional interest in cancer therapies.

Her visit to Riley was timed to the Olympics (her goal is to someday qualify for the Paralympics), so she wore her gold medal around her neck and talked about the power of dreams as kids tried out a makeshift luge track built for tiny vehicles, curling on the air hockey table and Olympic torch-making.

“It was her relapse that really opened her eyes to the importance of using her voice to encourage other kids,” said Vivian’s mom, wiping away tears as she watched her daughter connect with adults and children in the Zone.

“Yesterday was four years since the first chemo,” she added. “It’s been a journey of deep grief and great gratitude. They come hand in hand. You didn’t know how much your world was going to be blown apart and what was coming.

“I told Vivian many times, we can’t change the cards we’ve been dealt. We can only choose how we play them, and we’re going to play them in a way that helps others … and gives glory to God.”

With the benefit of perspective, Vivian is able to share bits of wisdom with the kids and parents she meets.

“There’s always something worth fighting for, even if you don’t see it right now,” she said. “And it is OK to grieve your past life.”

Just don’t get stuck in the grieving, she said.

“I feel like one of my biggest struggles coming out of treatment was I was trying to be the same person I was before going through it, and I was just so unhappy. You are a new person, and all of this pain and these struggles have shaped you into something better,” she said.

“Learn to accept that and live this new life. There’s a beautiful life waiting for you.”

Photos submitted and by Mike Dickbernd, IU Health visual journalist, mdickbernd@iuhealth.org