A discomfort in the chest, a common occurrence among athletes, is usually not a sign of any underlying medical troubles. “I didn’t think it was that serious,” Dominic Detruf told us before reflecting on the night he spent at Children’s when he discovered just how much his diagnosis could potentially affect his future.
The diagnosis was Myocarditis–the inflammation of the heart muscle. It is often the end result of viral infection, leading to chest pain, shortness of breath, and abnormal heartbeat. For an athlete, it means potentially giving up one’s passion for the sake of personal health. Due to it’s rarity though, it’s an unexpected diagnosis. In the United States, there are fewer than 200,000 cases per year. Hempfield Area’s own starting quarterback, Dominic Detruf, happened to be one of those cases.
Detruf didn’t let this diagnosis win. Despite the setbacks, he did all that he could to maintain both his skill and his health. “I couldn’t run or lift, so I just threw everyday,” he said, “I coached the rest of my guys like I was a leader.”
A leader is exactly what he was. Detruf showed up to practice everyday and put in an effort, despite not knowing for sure if he would play or not. He worked alongside coaches and assisted his teammates. In the face of adversity, he stood tall. In the words of Coach Keefer, “That is the sign of a true leader.”
When he found out he would be starting quarterback after waiting all summer, he was ecstatic. Now it was still up in the air when he would be able to play. Then, on Wednesday, August 28th, Dom was officially cleared. “Everyone on the team was excited,” said Coach Keefer, “they knew he deserved the opportunity to play again.”
For Dom, the feeling really hit him that Friday, walking onto the field. The week prior, he was excited for the rest of his team, but it didn’t compare to being able to walk onto the turf with pads, knowing that he was going to be able to do what he had spent so long preparing for.
“It was awesome,” he stated when asked about that night, “I mean, I was telling everyone. It really hit me that it was a Friday night and I was going to be able to play.” That Friday, he scored three touchdowns against Franklin Regional and was named the Westmoreland Sports Network Player of the Week. While that performance may have surprised those who don’t know Dom, his coach expected nothing less.
“Dom is such a good leader…he’s like having another coach on the field. The kids look up to him so much,” said Keefer.
Friend. Teammate. Captain. Dom Detruf proves that with passion and determination, setbacks can be overcome – and nothing can stop the heart of a leader.
