From Hard Days to the Best Seat in the House

Genuinely hard to put into words how meaningful the Indiana Fever game was. As much as I’ve been writing lately about all the special moments we’ve been having, I don’t think anything I could write could do this one justice.

Sitting in that arena, all I kept thinking was, holy shit… how did we go from that crazy ambulance ride and hospital stay to stabilizing, pushing through rounds of chemo, recovering, and being strong enough to make it to Gainbridge Fieldhouse? It didn’t feel real. All thanks be to God.

We were offered two courtside tickets through a longtime family friend, Aaron Dixon. On the morning of Monday July 14, I woke up to his message about unclaimed tickets and immediately bawled my eyes out. I called my mom between sniffles to tell her the news. I was going to get to take Kara to a Fever game... and it was happening in 10 days.

The next day, while we were watching the Fever play the Suns, I finally told Kara. I had been waiting 36+ hours to share the news and the conversation fell perfectly into place as she scrolled through her calendar and updated me on all their upcoming matchups. She was in total disbelief at the words I was saying.

The days leading up weren’t without hiccups. The night I told her about the trip, CC was re-injured and likely not going to play. Which was okay, Kara cheers for everyone. But chemo has been rough on her blood counts and Kara needed a transfusion on July 19, two bags of blood and platelets. So that Saturday, we spent hours in the infusion room but thankful that it gave us time to game plan.

Within minutes, we had incredible friends donate hotel points (thank you Cheryl Berry and Ashlee Waring) to cover our downtown stay. The trip started to feel like a DIY Make a Wish for Miss Kara. The irony is that when we were at Mayo Clinic and they told us she didn’t have much longer, they suggested coordinating a Make a Wish type of experience. My mom quickly scoffed at the idea. No offense to the suggestion, we love the cause but that news from Mayo was impossible to take in and mom was unwilling to accept we’d ever be at that point. We laugh about that moment now and I like to say I’ll keep giving Kara all her wishes. And I was determined to make this Fever game happen for her.

Like the rest of the country, we were hoping for a Caitlin Clark moment. I shared Kara’s story with anyone I could think of: JW Marriott concierge, Coach Jan Jensen, my friend Shilpa who used to work for the Pacers, Fever guest services, staff on LinkedIn, my cousin’s wife’s contact at the Dallas Wings Foundation and my brother-in-law who reached out to Kate Martin’s uncle. Every avenue I could think of, I tried.

The road trip to Indy wasn’t long in miles but was full of construction and not the most pleasant drive. Kara picked Culver’s for lunch (surprise surprise). Once we got to the city, we hit the Fever store and splurged. It felt so good to say yes to any swag Kara wanted (thank you to the Dixons, Lisa Wheat, and Sara Rolston for sending extra dollars). Kara even asked if I could text CC to let her know we made it to town. I love that she thinks I have that kind of pull.

At the hotel, we learned there were no double-bed rooms left. The property has over 1,000 rooms, so I was shocked. They put us in a hospitality suite with a queen murphy bed. Mom slept on a cot, Kara and I shared the bed. Not the best night’s sleep. The next day, we switched to a king room with a cot. We ordered in most meals and Kara slept much of the day. I honestly wasn’t sure she’d be able to get out the door for the game, but as usual, she rallied.

It was our first outing with the wheelchair, a total game changer. I wasn’t sure how I’d capture content with both hands on the chair, so I put Kara's phone in her lap with the front-facing camera on and said, “You’re in charge of video today.” Her eyes lit up like she’d been called to the big leagues. The “Kara Cam” was born that day. I think I created a monster because she never wanted to stop filming and it gave us the opportunity to share what it's like to experience the world through Kara's eyes.

She wanted a Pepsi (shocker) and ate exactly one square of pizza. She couldn’t wait to get to the court. Right before tip-off, I got a message from Debbie Antonelli asking if we wanted to meet her at halftime. Debbie was one of my Hail Mary reach-outs. I’ve watched women’s basketball my whole life and her voice is the soundtrack to so many monumental games. She’s broken barriers as a woman in broadcasting and calls the men’s tournament games too. But what I love most about Debbie is how she uses her platform for good. I remember watching a segment about her 24 Hours Nothing But Net fundraiser for Special Olympics and how she shared about her son Frankie. Representation matters and seeing her share his story on a huge stage was so meaningful.

When I got the voicemail from her, I might have to save it forever. My brain did all kinds of loops trying to get over the shock of hearing her say my name. But with Kara’s mobility challenges, meeting at halftime wasn’t realistic. I thanked her and explained, and she said she’d come find us after the game.

Kara was excited, picked out a Team Kara bracelet for Debbie and was ready to meet her new friend. The game itself was incredible. Playing the Las Vegas Aces meant seeing THE A’ja Wilson in person. Come on now. And former Hawkeye Megan Gustafson. And the Fever won! Kara smiled and cheered the whole game. She loves the energy in arenas and I love taking in these moments with her.

After the game, Debbie came down with Pat Boylan to meet us. I shared some of Kara’s story, which is still surreal to say involves cancer. I’m never sure how much to lead with that because we’re both so joyful and grateful. Yes, cancer is here and it’s awful, but I don’t want it to be the center of our story or a dark cloud we carry. Kara gave them bracelets and we took photos with them and a surprise drop in with Megan Gustafson!

We didn’t get a moment with CC, but that’s okay. Kara would have loved it, but in reality she idolizes our neighbors and my coworkers the same way she does CC. She doesn’t really grasp the gravity of certain people or moments, and that’s part of what makes her so down to earth and special. I love her so much.

So that’s the Indy report. We left at 6 a.m. Friday, drove straight to DeWitt for bloodwork (reality check!), I stopped at home for twenty minutes to change, then went to downtown Davenport to execute all of our events for Bix 7 Race Weekend. I still haven’t rested. That’ll come after Alternating Currents. Thanks for following along.

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If You're New Here

Hi, I’m Alisha, Kara’s sister and biggest advocate. Kara was diagnosed with Stage 4 Triple-Negative Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (TNBC) in December 2024. Her cancer has spread to her bones, liver, and other areas, making this an incredibly difficult and uncertain journey.

Despite it all, Kara’s light still shines so brightly—she’s full of love, giggles, and endless positivity. This blog is where I share updates on her fight, the highs and lows, and the incredible community rallying around her.

Thank you for being here, for your love, support, and prayers. We need them more than ever. 💛 And of course, Go Hawks!

Team Kara Support Fund

Your gift helps cover travel, caregiving, and comfort-related expenses for Kara’s support team. While Kara cannot receive funds directly, your generosity provides the relief and resources we need to keep showing up with love.

https://givebutter.com/teamkara