Edison’s big Gane

Luke Gane is a right tackle, a defensive end and an older brother.

He’s also a survivor.

When the Edison High football team takes the field against Artesia on Friday night at Huntington Beach High, look for No. 55. In the jersey, pads, helmet and cleats, the senior looks similar to the other Chargers.

But none of them are more excited for the start of the season than Gane. It’s the light at the end of the long tunnel, one caused by aplastic anemia. A year ago at this time, Gane was nowhere near the football field, instead confined to a hospital bed at Children’s Hospital of Orange County. His body couldn’t produce enough new blood cells, leaving him feeling weak and at higher risk of infection.

The Ganes knew something was up when Luke Gane had a bloody nose that wouldn’t stop. Days later, after blood work, he was rushed back to the emergency room. “They transported us in an ambulance to CHOC, and still we didn’t know what was going on,” said Tomoko Gane, Luke Gane’s mother. “We went to the third floor and we saw signs that said ‘hematology and oncology.’ At first, my reaction was, ‘Hmm. They must have ran out of beds and they’re just putting him on this floor.’ But then, reality hit that this was more serious then we thought. Then we started thinking cancer.”

The diagnosis wasn’t leukemia but aplastic anemia, which left the Ganes rushing to try to find out information about the condition. Soon, the community would also rush into action.

Meals were brought by the house daily. Fundraisers were organized, like a luau late last summer just before the Edison High football team went to Hawaii, and a haircutting fundraiser — “Locks for Luke” — that was also attended by the Servite and Costa Mesa High football teams. Rival Servite would play a big role throughout the process, also dedicating the Fryers’ game against Edison to Luke Gane and donating money from programs sold.

“It was almost like they were treating him as their own, which was so impressive,” Tomoko Gane said.

“Pray for 55” stickers were common sights. Olivia Zumwalt, the younger sister of Luke Gane’s good friend Jordan Zumwalt, went door-to-door to raise money. She collected more than $300, said Jim Gane, Luke Gane’s dad and a pastor at local CrossPoint Baptist Church.

Tomoko Gane was the “hospital parent” during Luke Gane’s stay, while Jim Gane was the “home parent.”

“We had neighbors, football parents, church people,” Jim Gane said. “It’s the most astounding part, to me, of the whole thing. We think we live relatively disconnected lives, by and large. [You] realize they’re not quite so disconnected, in fact they’re overwhelming connected.”

On top of the dozens of classmates and family friends who visited in the hospital, the Chargers football team also started praying and remembering Luke Gane. Coach Dave White called every night at 9:30 while he was in the hospital.

Meanwhile, Luke Gane was at CHOC, going through chemotherapy through August before becoming the recipient of a bone marrow transplant Sept. 2, 2008. The donor? His younger brother Jacob, then just 10 years old, who won the Stonefire Grill Thanksgiving essay contest by telling the story. Two weeks later, KIIS-FM visited the hospital, and Luke Gane got to meet celebrities like Misty May-Treanor.

“That was the first day I felt good after chemo,” Luke Gane said. “Throughout the whole hospital thing, I don’t really remember much, but that day was when I kind of woke up and felt better.”

In November, Luke Gane was out of the hospital, but not out of the woods. He had to wear a mask while out in public, and wore it to the Chargers’ annual “Battle for the Bell” game against Fountain Valley in November.

Luke Gane wasn’t supposed to be near the field. He started the game near the locker rooms, but before long was on the field. Then, when Edison pulled out a dramatic victory, Luke Gane was carried off on his teammates’ shoulders as the crowd chanted his name. A no-no from the doctors’ point of view, but an experience he’ll never forget.

“That was ... unintentional,” Luke Gane said. “It was really hard to know what to do. You’ve got your doctors telling you to get out of there, and you have however many people were there asking you to come closer. I got sucked into it a little bit, but I wouldn’t rewind it or change anything about that. It was just awesome. To me, no Super Bowl could add up to the excitement in that game. It was just being on the same field as my boys again.”

His teammates agreed.

“It really helped bring the team together,” said Jordan Zumwalt, the Stanford-bound linebacker. “I hate to use that as a reason, but it really brought the team together. We bonded from it, and it just showed how important we are to each other ... We were all showing support to the family. Everybody was there for them; they could have called on anybody.”

By January, Luke Gane was back at school. By April, he was working out with the team again. He’s gained 50 pounds from his hospital weight of 185. He’s also back to being an older brother and leader of the household, which also includes Noah, 11, Matthew, 13, and Josh, 16.

The odds of the aplastic anemia symptoms coming back are very low, Jim Gane said. But there are still memories of CHOC, and friends he made during his stay. One of them, Bella Alcala, passed away of cancer in March; she was 2.

“Some children have went there their whole lives, and they act like it’s normal,” Luke Gane said. “They don’t know any different ... They’re more heroic, in my eyes, because they went through a lot harder time than I did.”

But everyone around Edison knows what Luke Gane has gone through — and emerged from.

“It’s been an incredible journey,” Tomoko Gane said. “That’s what I’ve been telling people. It’s not been a tragedy. Something bad happened, but everyone made it something good.”

If you go to an Edison game this season, look for Luke Gane. When the opposition has the ball, he’ll be a defensive end who’s looking for the sack. When the Chargers have possession, Gane will also be easy to spot.

Look for the right tackle who has already tackled big obstacles and emerged with a smile on his face.

Luke Gane’s Timeline

 July 31, 2008 – diagnosed with aplastic anemia

 August, 2008 – underwent chemotherapy

 Sept. 2, 2008 – received bone marrow transplant from brother Jacob

 November – released from hospital

 January – went back to school at Edison

 April – practiced with football team

 Friday – first football game back