HS coach battling brain cancer, thankful for community support

BEVERLY, Mass. — A coach and teacher is dealing with the fight of his life - a rare form of brain cancer. But it's a battle he is not fighting alone.

In October, Ben and Sarah Goodhue learned they were expecting their first child. They had much to celebrate during the holidays, but as the new year started they were given more news that was not so good.

"They found a huge mass on his brain,” Sarah said. "He had brain cancer"

Ben is staring down a tough fight with Stage Four cancer, but the assistant coach of the Beverly High School boy’s lacrosse team and Marblehead High School football team is ready for it.

The same message Ben uses to motivate his athletes is one he learned from his father, Doc. It's one He’s now preaching to himself.

"You start and you finish, there's no quitting,” Doc Goodhue said. "We had a big talk about giving up and there's no such word, not in our vocabulary at all.”

In just a month, a GoFundMe page set up to help with the medical bills has raised more than $82,000.

"It's a great feeling that your friends can't do enough for you,” Doc said.

Their support doesn't end there, the Goodhue's tout their faith in God as their ultimate strength.

"Ask [God] to help you and bring you out of the low points and give you strength to move forward and take away all your fears and your doubts and he will because he has for us,” Sarah said.

Cox Media Group