Stand up and cheer for Lacey Henderson.
The affable University of Denver freshman cheerleader hasn’t let the loss of her right leg to cancer slow her down.
Henderson, 18, learned of the cancer when she discovered a tumor had surfaced behind her kneecap nine years ago. The prosthetic she wears hasn’t held the Denver native and Regis High School graduate back from anything. While she has found her passion in cheerleading, she has also tried rock climbing, skiing, snowboarding, soccer and volleyball.
Henderson and her mother, Linda Henderson, and DU cheerleading coach Julie Haines talked over coffee with Denver Post sportswriter Mike Chambers on Wednesday.
Q: When I saw you at the first DU basketball game of the season, I noticed you have stickers on your artificial leg. What do they say?
A: They have since changed, and are going to change again. At the beginning of the season, one of the stickers says “Invisible Children,” a nonprofit organization for Uganda children who get abducted.
Q: So the point of the stickers is, if people are going to look at your leg, you might as well advertise something you believe in?
A: Yes, more or less. I started putting stickers on my leg in the eighth grade or so. They were dumb stickers, like 93.3 radio station and stuff. But I had friends that were also amputees and had full leg cosmetic coverings, and I was like, “I have a fake leg; I’m not about going to make it look super real.” You have to keep it real, and represent the fake leg sometimes. There is no shame in it.
Q: I think that’s awesome. You seem to have such a zest for life. It blows me away. I think it’s so cool.
A: Thank you.
Q: Were you a cheerleader before the amputation?
A: No. I was actually a big runner. My dad is a track coach (at Rangeview High) and he would take my brother and I to his speed camps.
Q: So cheerleading became an alternative to running?
A: I’m an all-around sport person, and became interested in the cheerleading program because I hadn’t tried that before. It’s been the most fun out of all of them.
Q: Current hobbies?
A: I do a lot of reading, and ski and snowboarding.
Q: Do you hit the slopes with the prosthetic?
A: I ski without it. I do the outriggers. I could ski fine, but then naturally I wanted to snowboard.
Q: I hear you still often visit Children’s Hospital?
A: I’m a Children’s Hospital ambassador. People call me if kids are getting orthopedic surgeries or amputations, and I just go talk to them.
Q: Do you get a lot of people like me that tell you that your courage blows me away?
A: I do. It feels nice to have compliments. It’s just become such a big part of my life, me dealing with the prosthetic, that I really don’t feel like I’m doing anything extra special. I’m just doing what I want to do.
Q: What are you studying, and what do you want to do?
A: I’m studying modern languages, taking French and Spanish right now. I haven’t really thought how I’m going to use it. I’m going to also take Italian, Mandarin Chinese and Arabic.
Mike Chambers: 303-954-1357 or mchambers@denverpost.com
