Ava, Hodgkin Lymphoma

Born on March 7, 2005, in Nickerson, Kansas, I emerged as a standout athlete at Nickerson High School.

Excelling in basketball, I averaged 20.8 points and 15.4 rebounds per game during my junior year, earning accolades such as Class 3A Girls Player of the Year and Central Kansas League MVP.

My athletic versatility extended to volleyball and track and field, where I clinched a state championship in the high jump.

Initially committing to Arizona State University, a coaching change made me reopen my recruitment, and I signed to the University of Iowa on July 3, 2022, drawn by its strong basketball program and academic offerings.

On July 5, 2022, while attending an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) tournament in Louisville, Kentucky, my family and I were struck by an impaired driver on fentanyl and hydrocodone.

The accident claimed the life of my father, Trey Jones, and left my mother and me with severe injuries.

We spent 40 days in a Louisville hospital. I sustained a traumatic brain injury, a broken collarbone, and significant knee damage, requiring extensive rehabilitation that I am still doing weekly.

Despite the physical and emotional challenges, I enrolled at the University of Iowa, where the basketball team honored my scholarship even though I had to medically retire from the sport. I am pursuing a major in Journalism and Mass Communication with a minor in Lifestyle Medicine, with an expected graduation in May 2027.

Since spring 2023, I had been experiencing intense full-body itching, night sweats, trouble swallowing, fatigue, and snoring. Doctors said that these symptoms were a result of my traumatic brain injury. I was put on a medication that helps with nerve damage, as that was the suspected cause of my itchiness.

These problems impacted my daily life. I couldn’t sleep a full night because I would wake up for hours to itch. I had to take several naps throughout the day due to exhaustion. A doctor noticed an abnormality in my lungs after a shoulder surgery, but they thought that it was an infection from being in the hospital for so long following the car accident.

In early 2025, I noticed a lump growing on my neck. My primary physician was certain it wasn’t cancer, but they did further testing just to be sure.

In February, I received a call from my physician. She said, “I am so sorry to have to tell you this, but it is cancer.”

They didn’t know what type yet, and a biopsy was taken. I was subsequently diagnosed with Stage IV Hodgkin lymphoma, found in my neck, both lungs, and wrapped around my heart. I publicly shared my diagnosis and have been determined to pursue treatment while continuing my studies.

My title has transitioned from promising athlete to survivor and advocate, but my determination, hope, and perseverance haven’t wavered.

I have become an advocate for health awareness, sharing my experiences with both a brain injury and cancer. In March 2025, I delivered a speech at the Brain Injury Alliance of Iowa’s annual event, discussing my journey and emphasizing the importance of early diagnosis and treatment.

Through my Instagram account, I provide updates on my treatment and recovery, fostering a sense of community and support among my followers. I hope that my transparency and positivity have inspired many facing similar challenges.

My title has transitioned from promising athlete to survivor and advocate, but my determination, hope, and perseverance haven’t wavered. I will face my remaining 4 chemotherapy treatments with strength and grace and hope to be in remission by July 23, 2025.