University student Brett Gosnell passed away last Thursday at his home in Hickory, N.C. after a three-year battle with cancer.
A diligent student and passionate football fan, Gosnell graduated as his class valedictorian at Hickory High School in 2004 after being diagnosed with a rare form of childhood cancer known as rhabdomysarcoma during his junior year, his father, Mark Gosnell said.
After attending classes at Lenoir-Rhyne College and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Gosnell was finally able to live out his dream of attending the University last year, Gosnell's father said.
"He went to UNC and he really liked Carolina, but he asked me to drive him up to U.Va. to take one more look and he said he wanted to sit on the steps of the Rotunda," Mark Gosnell said. "I came back in an hour and got him and Brett said he had to be there and he just loved it."
An avid fan of University football, his father said Gosnell would arrive early for every game to ensure the best seats and would never be seen in the stands without his blue and orange bow tie.
"He did not want to be known as the kid with cancer," Karen Rheuban, a family friend and University medical professor, said. "He went to every football game and every tailgate; I would say that very few people knew first semester that he had cancer. He did everything."
Throughout the course of his treatment, classes remained a top priority for Gosnell and he demonstrated a particular love for writing, Rheuban said. In honor of this talent and passion, the College of Arts & Sciences is creating a writing award to be given in Gosnell's name, she said. While the English department has approved the award, the specifics are still to be determined, Rheuban added.
Gosnell will also be remembered through "Brett's Ride for Rhabdo," a charity bike ride started in Gosnell's name three years ago that raises money for children's cancer research, Mark Gosnell said. The third annual ride, which is based out of Hickory, N.C., will be held this October with a goal of raising $70,000, he said.
Family and friends said Gosnell will be remembered as a courageous individual and an inspirational young man who followed his dreams and loved the University.
"He fit in there like a hand in a glove," said Gosnell's father. "I'm sure he's looking out for you guys right now."
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