Community Rallies Behind Coach In Cancer Battle

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — Andre Glenn is one of those residents everyone knows, especially in the youth sports community. Whether its on the football sidelines, the baseball dugouts or the basketball benches, there's a good chance you'll see Glenn coaching and teaching young people sportsmanship, teamwork and perseverance. He is now using these lessons in his fight against cancer.

In November of 2019, Glenn received the distressing diagnosis of a brain stem tumor. After undergoing a left brain craniotomy, it was determined that Glenn has a glioblastoma, an aggressive form of cancer that occurs in the brain or spinal cord. Immediate surgery was needed. It was successful, and Glenn is recovering.

"Andre is doing okay. He is very weak from the treatments with very little energy, but forging forward and getting through each day," said Ann Marie Glenn, Andre's wife. "He is looking forward to the end of August as he should be finished with his chemo at that time if he stays on track. Hopefully, brighter days are ahead once that time comes.

Andre and Ann Marie are the proud parents of two sons, Andrew, 13, and Alex, 8. The boys have always benefited from their father's coaching and now they're helping him in his current fight.

"They continue to amaze us every day," Ann Marie said. "We have always taught our kids about life not being fair, but when we said that we had no idea what our future had in store for us."

While Andre Glenn has recovered from surgery, he has also received many rounds of radiation treatment and oral chemotherapy, including double and triple doses of oral chemotherapy in March and April, with four more cycles to finish his treatment in August if all things go well. He is also expected to receive emerging treatments for his tumor that will hopefully provide additional positive results. Obviously, the costs of all these treatments and care can be daunting for any family.

According to friend Jay Cherwin, the Arlington Cowboys Youth Football leadership team and the Arlington Heights Youth Basketball Association have received numerous inquiries about assisting Glenn in his fight. The Greenbrier neighborhood, where the Glenn family lives, have been leaving off meals, gift cards, prayers and well wishes.

Earlier this month, Cherwin, along with Tim Hobscheid and Adan Roura, decided to start a GoFundMe to help defray the significant expenses Glenn's treatments will require. Both Cherwin and Roura are involved in youth sports with Glenn.

"Andre has given a lot to our community and many folks were looking for a way to make a meaningful contribution to his fight," Cherwin said. "We figured this was the best option, particularly in light of the shutdown which limited other potential events or activities."

Rolled out on May 6, the initial goal of the GoFundMe was to raise $5,000. As of press time for this story on May 15, $13,200 has been raised by 135 donors.

"It was awesome to see the goal exceeded by so much, so quickly. We have always known we live in a great community, and we have been very touched to see the generosity of so many families, especially during this pandemic when everyone is being affected in some way," Andre Glenn said. "It reconfirms what we already knew about being surrounded by tremendous support."

In addition to the outpouring of love from the community, Ann Marie said they've received plenty of assistance from her sister’s families, Andre’s family — though they live in North Carolina — friends and employers/co-workers.

A parade in the family's neighborhood in Andre's honor is planned for Saturday. It's a good bet the local youth sports community will be involved.

"Andre has tried to mirror his father’s coaching style, but has always said he had 'big shoes to fill.' I think what makes him special is that he really cares about what the kids take away from the coaching," Ann Marie said. "It is more than just about winning and losing. It is about what they learn along the way. He always uses the mantra “Finish,” meaning finish strong. These are valuable life lessons we can all learn from."

To learn more about the GoFundMe campaign or donate, visit https://bit.ly/3bBHfvu.