PHOENIX — One season ticket holder hasn’t let cancer or trips for treatment keep her from watching the Phoenix Suns play at the Footprint Center!
Instead, superfan Jessica Rosen feels like she is fighting alongside the team.
“We are a basketball family for sure,” said Rosen.
She told ABC15 she grew up going to Suns games with her parents. Now, Rosen’s son also has a love for the sport and the family’s favorite team.
“I’m sure that there are other people that it means as much to them as it does me,” said Rosen. “But would say I’m in the minority for sure. The Suns are my life.”
Rosen’s journey doesn’t involve a basketball or thousands of cheering fans. Instead, it’s much more somber and comes with chemotherapy and surgeries.
“In 2017, I was diagnosed with esophageal cancer,” said Rosen. “I had five weeks of aggressive chemo and radiation. I had an operation where they removed my esophagus and half my stomach.”
After being in remission for about two years, her cancer ended up coming back, this time in a different place. Right now, she’s still currently on chemo and battling the disease.
As the Suns geared up for the playoffs, Rosen started experimental treatment in Houston. But her treatments overlapped with the first-round games.
“I actually almost called them, and said I need to wait until after June because I can’t miss the playoff games,” said Rosen.
So, Rosen has been flying back and forth between Houston and Phoenix, trying to make as many games as possible. She said this year’s team is her favorite.
“They’ve motivated me,” said Rosen. “They’ve kept me going and inspired me.”
Rosen admits this series has been emotional for her, but she hasn’t given up and she knows the Suns won’t either.
She’s now trying to plan the next step in her treatment around the finals.
“Just like Chris Paul writes on his shoes ‘you can’t give up now,'” said Rosen. “You’ve come this far. You’re the best team in the league. You’ve proven it. You can pull it off."
