By Kyle Roberts
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Sometimes a canceled flight can lead to a special day.
That was true Wednesday for the Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters and their entire staff: originally scheduled to fly out of Shreveport and arrive in Nashville later in the day, the winter weather forced the connecting flight out of Houston to be canceled.
Call in the big bus, and the switch from airline to ground gave the team the chance to visit with A.E. Phillips Middle School Teacher Lauren Pipes and her five-year-old son Reed, who is undergoing his planned final stint of treatment at St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in Memphis.
And the best part: neither the team nor Reed had any idea about the impromptu rendezvous, giving him a terrific surprise on a sub-freezing afternoon on the concrete basketball court.
”It’s so exciting here,” Lauren said. “He had no idea. We follow this team — we watch every (Louisiana Tech basketball) game on his tablets, women’s and men’s. He loves, loves, loves the Stoehr’s. This is going to be something he’s going to remember for a long time.”
For nearly an hour, the players and staff hooped with Reed, who showed off his dribbling, shooting and defensive skills to the team.
Following Reed’s initial diagnosis in February of 2024, the Techsters have helped cultivate his newfound passion for basketball this past year, which has proven a great distraction during treatment.
”Reed has such a great spirit about him,” Lady Techster Head Coach Brooke Stoehr said. “It was special to be able to surprise him and watch him shoot hoops with our team. We have some amazing young women in our program, and they’ve been inspired by his toughness and attitude throughout his treatments. He loves basketball and cheers for our team whether he’s in Ruston at the games or watching from his iPad. We wanted to be able to provide an opportunity for him to just play and give him an escape from his treatment and normal routine.”
Lauren shared her appreciation for the team’s rallying around her son and for making the visit.
“The team sends videos of encouragement to him all the time,” Lauren said. “Brooke has worn his shirt to a game. They’ve just been a nice little bright spot. And basketball has been the thing that he’s gravitated toward since he’s been diagnosed. So it’s been amazing.”
Reed and the rest of the Pipes family are hopeful that this will be the final round of treatment he will need at St. Jude’s and can complete any more treatment near home.
”Fingers crossed, we’ll be going home the first of February,” Lauren said. “We still have a long way to go, but we can do all the rest in Shreveport, hopefully.”
And for the Lady Techster squad, the day was a reminder that what they do off the court is more impactful than what they do on it— highlighted by Wednesday.
”Our mission within our program is to love and serve others well,” Stoehr said. “My hope is we recognize how fortunate and blessed we are to have the health and opportunities we’ve been given. We have an extraordinary opportunity to impact those around us if we choose to. Part of being a great teammate is giving of yourself to lift others up or help them be successful. Sometimes it’s simply showing up for each other, providing a smile, or helping someone fight through some adversity. I think we’ve all gained a greater perspective and been inspired as we’ve watched Reed’s resilience through his illness. I believe he’s had a far greater impact on us than we have had on him.”
