Try to imagine what it might be like if you’re a gifted teenage student-athlete in what you believe is the prime of health. You run, workout and try to eat right and would never imagine something could ever go seriously wrong with your body. Then when you get the news, it’s devastating. It’s like an invisible enemy that you need to fight off with everything you have in you. Welcome to Derricklee Harms’ world of the past several months.
Head cross country coach Ben Demuth was the first person to notice something might be wrong back in the 2019 season, as he knew as well as anyone what Harms was capable of. “We were practicing with a long run, and by this time he had already been running very poorly in meets and practice and I had no idea what was happening,” said Demuth. “He was so far behind everyone that I just picked him up and had a talk with him. I told him there was no way I could have him run the home meet. He looked tired and not doing well.” Demuth always stresses to his athletes to eat right and get adequate sleep, and Harms always told him yes he was. “Still, I could not figure out why he was not responding to the running and recovery,” he said. “I told him to see a doctor to figure it out.”
It was just a year ago when Harms received the diagnosis that rocked him and his mom Sheri. “I started getting a sharp pain in the back of my head,” said Derricklee. Sheri then tried to see what might be wrong. “I looked inside his mouth, and thought it might just be strep throat because he also complained of a sore throat,” she said. They went to see doctor Dustin Smith at the UnityPoint clinic, who ordered a blood panel. After seeing that, he advised them to go the ER right away. “At that point we were freaked out as to what was going on,” said Sheri. Iowa Specialty Hospital in Clarion had a tentative diagnosis, but wanted further testing.
“We didn’t know right away, but then got the call that it was a blood disorder called TTP,” said Sheri. Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura is a rare disorder that causes platelet clumps to form in the smaller blood vessels, which leads to a low platelet count. Of course we all know that platelets are needed in the clotting process, so it can threaten to cause uncontrollable bleeding.
They next traveled to Iowa City to one of the finest hospitals and clinics in the world for extensive testing. The resulting final diagnosis: Derricklee had acute myeloid leukemia. It’s a form of cancer of the blood and bone marrow with excess immature white blood cells. It can progress rapidly, with myeloid cells interfering with the production of normal white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. Symptoms include fatigue, recurrent infections and bruising easily.
“When his mom shared with me that he had cancer, I just lost it right then and there,” said Demuth. “In my over 20 years of coaching, I had never had a kid go through this and so I was in disbelief. Here was a runner who just dominated last spring in the 400 meter run to place in the top ten at state, and I’m thinking future state champ who is now going to have to fight for his life. No stinking way this could be happening.” But the coach also remembers how unbelievably calm Derricklee was after learning this. “It was amazing in retrospect, and I think it was also the reason why he was able to beat this,” said Demuth. “In my life this one moment taught me a lot about life and taking things in stride as you are not promised tomorrow. Just work with what you’ve got and make the best of it, and that is what this kid taught me!”
The usual leukemia treatment consists of both chemotherapy and radiation. Ironically, it can also be caused by radiation exposure and certain chemotherapy treatments for cancer. Family history and exposure to certain chemicals are also considered risk factors for developing it. In general, it does go into remission in nearly all children who have it. More than four out of every five will live at least five years.
“I didn’t know what was going to happen now,” said Derricklee. “They kept him there for a month at a time for the treatments,” added Sheri. “They would give him a couple weeks, to maybe three or four, in between each round of treatment.” He admitted that after the first few he started not feeling so good as his body wore down. “I tried to stay optimistic through it,” he said.
Back in Eagle Grove, his coaches and fellow teammates where not about to go through their season without doing something to honor Harms and keep him in their thoughts and prayers. When Jon Koester went to represent the school at state cross country, he wore orange shoe laces just for Harms. “That was cool,” said Derricklee. “It was nice to know he was remembering me.” Harms is also a wrestler, and his fellow mat men started shaving their heads to honor him in their own way. “That was really cool,” he said. “A lot of guys worry about their hair, so that really showed how much they missed me. It was a nice sacrifice to honor me that way.” That November, coaches Demuth and Becker took the guys down to see their stricken team member. “That was good for me to see all of them,” he said.
“I knew I had to go and see him in Iowa City,” said Demuth. “Aaron Schafer, Jake Groth, Adam Herrington and Justin Agtun joined me in making the trip, with Rick and Mark Dawson going over on their own. He was still so calm about everything that was going on, and we had a great visit. I think in hindsight it was really good, as even though I would not see him again until District wrestling I knew he was in a great place and it was good for us as coaches to spend time with this young man.”
On the return trip home, they made the decision to honor him with orange shoelaces at the qualifier, which Jon Koester continued at the state meet. “I know the guys were upset, as he is such a great guy and a popular student at school,” said the coach. “They rallied around him, and I was impressed with how well they held together. The faculty and other students wanted to help too, and raised some funds for the family and that was very special to me.”
Derricklee admits that, understandably, the holiday time was tough for him as he had to be in the hospital instead of celebrating with family and friends. For those that wanted to visit him there, it was also not an easy process. “For visitors, it depended on how many there were and how my fever was at the time,” he said. Over the last two to three months of treatments this past spring, he finally started to feel like he was coming out of it and had turned the corner. Little by little, he improved enough to be released. “I was able to come back home in June,” he said. “He was put on antibiotics, but now that’s just on weekends, to help fight off any bacterial infection,” added Sheri. “He’s almost at 100 percent.”
“We were about to order t-shirts to wear during track season to honor him, then COVID-19 hit and our season got cancelled,” said Demuth. “I remember how disappointed Derricklee was to have the season cut short, and I was like, ‘Dude, just keep fighting and beating cancer and we will be alright in the long run.’ He is so selfless and kind to everyone, and it was just amazing to hear his concern for his athletic family.”
Both Derricklee and Sheri are grateful to the doctors and others for his care, and to people in the community for their donations to help out with extra expenses during this time. “We’re so appreciative,” said Sheri.
As for his just completed cross country season, Derricklee looks at it from this perspective. “I wasn’t quite back to where I wanted, but I’m just glad to be out there,” he said. He also has a little advice for anyone, especially people his age, that might be feeling like something isn’t quite right with them. “Don’t try to be macho,” he said. “Go check it out and find out what’s wrong.”
“He was telling me in late spring of this year that he was confident that he would be on the team and running,” said Demuth. “I had no clue what the season would be like with everything going on, but again he taught me early on to take it all in stride and take what life hands you and that is what we did! Once he was cleared to go, he just picked right up with the guys and we tried to temper our expectations and his ability but he was already off to the races!”
He went on to say that he and coach Becker are still amazed at how well he came along this season, and had to remind themselves of where he was just a year ago. “For him to not only be a varsity runner, but to get better and faster each, was so impressive,” said the coach. “We could always count on him for a new personal record, as his times were not bad at all and he would settle in as our fourth or fifth runner and sometimes be in the top three. I am not sure if he wouldn’t have qualified for state as he was coming on so strong.”
Even if that didn’t happen, Demuth still feels Harms has had the real victory in life. “He is here and with his team, and is being a leader, friend, confidant and a fine young man who we can all look up to and aspire to be like. This kid will always be something special to so many because of his nature, and I love him as I do all my athletes! I am just so proud of what he has done and who he is that I will forever be grateful he came to Eagle Grove and became a part of our story. I am super excited to watch him wrestle again this winter, and I have told him that next spring the sky is the limit for him as I have no doubt he can and will be very special on our track team.”
“Thanks to members of the community, my sports teams, fellow classmates and the Eagle fans for everything you did for me,” said Harms. “I’ll always be grateful to all of you.”
Derricklee is truly a walking miracle and lucky to still be enjoying life as he knows it. I think it’s safe to say we are all fortunate to be enjoying watching his athletic talent as well, especially knowing what it took for him to get back to it again.
