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Oliver Wilson's Story of Struggle & Triumph
Laramie - 9/28/2008
21 years ago, Oliver Wilson overcame the streets of South Side Chicago to help lead the University of Wyoming Men's Basketball program to the NCAA Sweet 16... Little did he know, life's hardest struggle hadn't even begun.
"My ritual is that I pray... Because it's after midnight and that's a new day. I say to myself silently, God, thank you for delivering me. God, thank you for allowing me another day here on earth and I love you."
On December 22nd, 2006 Oliver Wilson was diagnosed with stage four Colon Cancer, and told he had 2-6 weeks to live.
"I went into a psychic prison where I told myself, give up... It's inevitable. You're going to leave. It's not the time that you'd hoped but you're done."
It was from his family, friends and former teammates that Oliver found the strength to go on.
"My wife said to the doctors in the hospital, I love the idea of medicine and how you have advanced it, but you are not in the business of putting expiration dates on people and that was a big boost for me."
Two years after being told his time was expired, Oliver continues to beat the odds.
"I look back at some of the guys that I grew up with in my neighborhood and I say, man you are wasting your life. It's the choices you make in life and what you choose to do."
He has chosen to live each day to the fullest.
"My ritual is to tell my kids and my family members more often than so that I love them from my heart."
"If God were to take me tomorrow, I've lived a pretty good life."
Saturday's reunion basketball game raised over $4,500 for Olver and that was matched by former Poke Theo Ratliff.
If you would like to donate to Oliver's Cancer Fund, go to www.owcancerfund.org
Reporting for Your Station, Macradee Aegerter, CBS NewsChannel 5.
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