Getting into a battle is not something unusual for Bridgeport’s Hunter Mann. As a former standout and state champion on two Bridgeport High School baseball teams he has stared down the opponent and helped his team rally more than once.

 

In fact, you only have to go back to 2015 when Mann was a senior at Bridgeport High School. In the state semifinal baseball game that year in Charleston, with his team down 7-6, Mann started a rally that not only erased a 7-6 deficit, but led to an 11-run inning, a 17-7 win, and a trip to the state title game.

 

Pretty big stakes, huh?

 

In the world of high school sports, it does not get much bigger. In life, Hunter Mann has been battling another for more than two years and well past his days wearing the red and white of the Indians. Since Jan. 17 of 2020, Mann has been staring down cancer.

 

Since Jan. 22 of that year, he learned he was battling ALL Leukemia B Cell cancer. Without going into details, if you have Leukemia this is the diagnosis preferred, but it still requires a battle.

 

As we knew from the beginning and was confirmed April 20, Hunter Mann was up to the challenge. It was on that day a little more than a week ago, Hunter Mann was officially remission.

 

That same day, however, he still had one more chemotherapy treatment to take before it was technically officially. Then, to make it “officially” official, he got to ring the bell at the Pediatric Infusion Center at WVU Medicine Children's Hospital in Morgantown.

 

“It felt amazing to walk out and ring that bell. Honestly, I can’t imagine there being a better feeling in the world to have that last treatment, knowing your done with it and walking out to ring the bell,” said Hunter.

 

It has been a grueling two years. There have been difficulties, treatments through COVID, surgeries, losing his hair, and other issues. And there were treatments, lots of treatments.

 

“I had so many I honestly can’t remember, but it could have been between 50 and 100 over the last two years,” said Hunter. “Add to that taking chemo medicine every night and it just wore you out.”

 

Anyone who has dealt with cancer personally or with a loved one knows the entire process can be emotionally and physically draining. For those going through chemotherapy, it is a heavy added layer.

 

“You had treatments of chemotherapy that were from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and some that were 24 hours long,” said Hunter. “There were other treatments that were only 30 to 40 minutes, but you would be doing blood work and having tests done and it was usually a half a day long. That’s what you had to endure if you wanted to reach the finish line.”

 

The finish line is now just behind him. Also in the rearview mirror are the need to take chemotherapy medication or have treatments. Now, according to his father Mike, the regiment is maintenance to make sure the Leukemia does not return.

 

“He has to make regular visits to the hospital for five years, but they decrease in frequency as the years go on,” said his father.

 

The schedule is basic. For the first year, he will go back to the hospital once a month for blood work. The second year every two months, and the third year every three months. In the fourth year, he will go once every four months and when he reaches the fifth year, he will be done with anything but standard follow-ups.

 

“If you get to the fifth year and everything stays the same, the chances of it returning are almost nil,” said Mike Mann. “That’s what we’re aiming for now.”

 

So is Hunter.

 

“I’m healthy and back to being myself as much as possible and I’ll try to stay healthy to stay away from going back,” said Hunter. “Getting to one year will be a big anniversary, but the five-year mark is what you want.”

 

For more than two years, Hunter Mann has wanted to be healthy again. The 25-year-old wanted to be able to do the things he did before his diagnosis, and he is slowly getting there.

 

“I feel back to normal for the most part, but I golfed 27 (holes) on Saturday and 18 on Sunday, and I was a little sore. I’m getting old, but for the most part I’m still not where I need to be,” he said. “I just don’t have my strength back or my stamina back, but I’ll build it back up.”

 

What he will not need to build are relationships. From his family to his friends, Hunter Mann said the most important people in his life never left his side.

 

“My parents (Mike and Debbie) made sure anything I needed they took care of. If I wanted something, they got it. The support from them and my family was there from day one,” said Hunter, who is working at Dan Cava’s Toyota World in Fairmont. “Even during the COVID part of it where they had to sit and wait outside for hours, they were there. I hope they know how much I appreciate that.”

 

Hunter Mann also appreciates the friends that stood by his side. And a few other groups as well.

 

“I’ve been running with the same group since middle school and I can tell you if it wasn’t for them this would have been a whole lot more difficult,” said Hunter. “On top of that, I had an entire community behind and wonderful doctors, nurses, medical staff that made a bad situation as good as it could be.”

 

Make no mistake, it was a dire situation. Battling cancer, no matter the diagnosis, is never a good one. Yet, through it all, Hunter Mann said it has made him a better person.

 

“Having cancer opened my eyes to a lot of things because one day you’re healthy and the next day you have cancer,” said Hunter. “I’m going to make the most of every day because I was shown you truly don’t know what tomorrow will bring. It’s a cliché to most, but it means more to me when I say it is important to live one day at a time and take advantage of each day you have because it was tough at times.

 

“At the same time, there were good things I saw. I can’t thank everyone enough for the support and the prayers that were constant throughout this,” he continued. “It meant the world to me, and I don’t know how to adequately say thank you enough.”

 

You just did Hunter. Here is to many years of good health.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows Hunter Mann just after ringing the bell to show his treatments were finished flanked by his father Mike and mother Debbie. In the middle photo, Hunter is shown getting his last treatment. At the bottom, to wrap up an eventful April 20, Hunter is pictured with his nieces and nephews, some who are happier to be photographed than others.