Trevor Farrow Overcomes Career-Threatening Spine Condition

We've been covering the ordeal of a whose high school career was cut short by a rare spinal condition.

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But this senior wouldn't take "no" for an answer. Here's the finale to this 3-part series:

Back on the Court

Finally, after more than a year in intensive daily rehabilitation, Farrow made his long-awaited return to the hard court last summer in a Las Vegas tournament.

He played only a few minutes and scored just four points, but it was the sweetest four points of his life. He was back playing basketball once again.

“It was amazing. Everyone was going nuts,” Farrow recalled. “The team was so extremely supportive. It made everything worth it.”

“Everybody wanted to see him out there,” said senior guard Nick Thomas, one of the team’s leaders. “Everybody has been telling him, ‘You’re going to be playing for us, you’re going to be playing for us,’ so it was nice to finally see that happen. I think because he has been out so long he wanted to play so badly.”

This season, Capistrano Valley has picked up where they left off last year. The Cougars have won 20 of 22 games, seven in a row, and are 6-0 in the South Coast League where three of the four teams are ranked in the top four in CIF Division 1-A. They are ranked first in the division, second only to Mater Dei in Orange County, 19^th in the state and 129^th nationally.

But with Mission Viejo only a game behind in the league standings with three league games remaining, rest isn't an option.

Farrow had played in every game up until two weeks ago when he bruised his spine arching his back too far during a game against Mission Viejo. But he expects to be back this Friday when the Cougars are at home to face Trabuco Hills at 7 p.m.

“He’s the kind of person who just wants to contribute to the team even if he isn’t able to ball on the court,” said senior guard Taylor Parham, who has been his teammate and good friend since the sixth grade. “He’s going to be a big contributing factor because he has such a big body. He does a lot of things for a big man. Having him back will be a bonus for our team in getting us to that top level in CIF.”

Teammate Spencer Fabian, who competed against Farrow before teaming up with him in middle school, echoed the sentiments of his teammates.

“Trevor has taught me so many things, like how fortunate I am to be able to play basketball,” said the senior guard. “I know how bad he wants to play. If he makes it back now, it’s really going to motivate us. This season is for him. He’s always been there for us even though he hasn’t been able to play. We want to win it for him.”

A Rare Case

Coach Brian Mulligan said he realizes how much Farrow has impacted his players and their desire to play each game as if it were their last, because you never know when it could be.

“This is as good a story as we’ve had, because of the length of time he’s been out. It’s unique,” Mulligan said. “Most guys would’ve been done by now and gone on to do something else. Trevor has missed out on a lot of cool stuff with this class, and he has some very special friends in this group. They are just a really high quality group of kids. Honestly, they do think of things like ‘Let’s get one for Trevor.’ It was guys like Taylor and Colin and Spence who kept him going more than anybody else.”

Farrow says he’s no longer worried about back pain, despite the recent setback, because the reconstruction of his spine and strengthening of his core has made his spine stronger than it ever was before. Now he wants to prove that he belongs on a championship-caliber team and can contribute to its success, even in small ways.

“When you’re injured other people always will doubt you," Farrow said. "So for me to come back with the help of my friends and my family has meant the world to me. Every time I wanted to give up, my mom and dad would go to the next doctor or call people, and my friends would encourage me not to give up.

“I’ve learned so much about myself, that nothing can stop me. It took awhile but I never stopped believing in myself. I used what the doctor said and focused it into positive energy. I strengthened my body into what I could never do before. If I had never gone through what I did and worked to get healthy, I never would have been the athlete and person I am today.”