the sport later than Noble, taking her first lesson and making varsity
during her junior year. She walked on at North Georgia last year and
earned a scholarship this season.
Scars aside, lingering effects of their illnesses aren’t apparent,
save for the mental toughness, which serves them well as they try to
improve rapidly at the frustrating game they began later than most of
their peers. “My jaw just dropped (when I found out about LeeAnn),”
Hunter says. “It amazes me to look at them and think about what
they’ve gone through. They both are pretty resilient and
I’m sure that’s why.”
It’s fitting that both girls were Make-A-Wish recipients and found
their way to North Georgia. The school has ranked first or second
among Division II institutions in Make- A-Wish donations for three
consecutive years, giving roughly $34,000 in that span as part of the
division-wide alliance with the charity organization. And Noble and
Sandy have played important roles in those efforts as members of the
school’s SAAC, which organizes North Georgia’s Make-A-Wish events.
They’ve manned a booth at fundraisers in Dahlonega, using their
stories to help drive donations.
Their experiences were different, but equally meaningful.
Sandy came to love Disney movies as a child when she was isolated from other kids for long stretches in order to protect her weakened
immune system. She said her Make-A-Wish trip to Disney World made
all those movies, which kept her company when she was ill, come to
life. Noble and her family spent time in New York City, where they sat
front-and-center at a Broadway play.
The pair have paid those experiences forward. Make-A-Wish
children who visit campus get to spend time with role models who
understand what they’re going through. Noble has counseled other
children who are in need of transplants, but are wary of the
daunting procedure. One girl’s parents told Noble t