In fall 2024, 14-year-old Bo Opperman of Milan, Ohio, discovered a painful lump on his back following a football injury. After months of doctor visits and a biopsy, he was diagnosed with superficial Ewing Sarcoma—a rare cancer found in teens.
Though the tumor was successfully removed and the cancer localized, Bo faced another challenge: chemotherapy that could cause infertility. Doctors told his family that two of the medications would likely destroy his sperm.
His mother, Staci, was devastated. “It was horrible to think my son could never have a chance to have kids,” she said. But Bo didn’t hesitate when offered the option to freeze his sperm. “I want to be a dad,” he told People, adding that he enjoys caring for young children, including his niece and nephew.
Bo’s parents supported his choice and set up a GoFundMe to help with fertility preservation costs. The same day he visited the clinic, Bo began chemotherapy, which will last between six months to a year. Despite the difficult treatment ahead, he’s looking forward to graduating from eighth grade and hopes to keep his hair through the ceremony.
Bo, known for his kindness toward children and his mother’s special needs students, has this advice for other kids facing cancer: “Just push through it. You’re brave, and you’ll come out the other side eventually.”
And one day, he hopes to pass that strength on to a child of his own.
Related topics:
