It’s tough not to look sometimes. The lacrosse field seems out of place for the woman in the wheelchair.

She’ll garner stares and questions. Her once beach-blond hair is now thinning from the chemotherapy. Her face and body are swollen from steroids. The left side of her body is paralyzed.

The 40-year-old woman looks like she belongs in a hospital. But when her father gazes at her, he sees the little girl he’s always loved.

Diane Geppi-Aikens was youthful, dynamic and attractive. As coach of the Loyola women’s lacrosse team, she led her squad to six Final Fours. On Saturday, she coached from the Carrier Dome sidelines, leading her No. 1-ranked team to a 14-10 victory over Syracuse.

Impressive, considering her life is running on fumes. Geppi-Aikens could die any day now.

First came a brain tumor. Then another. Then another. All cancerous. The last one, discovered in 2001, was deemed inoperable.

She began chemo in 1995 when the first tumor was found on her brain stem. Her most recent session ended in February. It was the last of her 46 bouts of chemo.

All the while, Geppi-Aikens continued to coach one of the country’s most dominant teams. She’s an inspiration to thousands of people across the nation. From California to Baltimore she’s made a difference, and people let her know it.

Dear Coach Aikens,

I am 10 years old. I think you are very brave. You are one of my heroes.

— Andrew Rodgers

Geppi-Aikens has received thousands of letters from family, friends and complete strangers. The message board on her Web site is filled with prayers and daily messages. So far, the site has garnered more than 18,000 hits. It’s safe to say Geppi-Aikens has reached even more hearts.

During player introductions before Saturday’s game against Syracuse, Geppi-Aikens outstretched her right hand to slap hands with each one of her players. Her paralyzed left hand sat gently in her lap. Though she doesn’t pace the sidelines with the abandon that she used to, it doesn’t mean she isn’t coaching.

After Saturday’s win, Loyola is 14-0 and ranked No. 1 in the country. Despite her constant fatigue, the brain tumor, the recently discovered diabetes and the wheelchair, she has missed only one game this season. She attends as many practices as she physically can.

She has help from assistant coach Kerri Johnson and a number of others, but she insists on being out there.

‘She’s a very determined person,’ said her father, John. ‘She never asked ‘Why me?’ ‘

John, his wife, Geppi-Aikens’ sister and her aunt provide 24-hour care at her Baltimore home. The diabetes makes the situation more difficult on everyone, but they manage.

Geppi-Aikens usually wakes up a number of times during the night to eat a snack or to check her blood-sugar level. In the morning, she takes her four kids — Michael, 17; Jessica, 15; Melissa, 12; and Shannon, 9 — to school. After kisses goodbye, she’s off to lacrosse practice.

When she comes home she’ll watch television, talk to her kids or, if it’s a nice day, sit outside on her porch. Her condition is a struggle for everyone around her, especially her father.

‘I’m her wheels,’ John said. ‘I’m the driver. I take her on road trips to games. I take her everywhere. It’s hard to see her in a wheelchair. She’s been a sports person all her life. She never had to depend on anyone.’

The thing that amazes me most is the courage, strength and determination that you demonstrated while battling your illness. You are a winner in every sense of the word. Keep up the fight.

–Kathy Kokolas

In her youth, Geppi-Aikens was more than a ‘sports person.’ She was the star. During her career at Parkville High, she earned nine varsity letters. She excelled at basketball, volleyball and lacrosse. Surprisingly, the 5-foot-3 Geppi-Aikens was best at basketball and is in the Baltimore City Hall of Fame for her skills as a guard.

She dominated at lacrosse. During her first year in high school, Geppi-Aikens scored 60 goals, more than Parkville allowed in her high school career.

She was always athletic. Her dad remembers her at age 5 throwing the football around in the yard with whoever was willing to put up with her.

Geppi-Aikens moved on to Loyola to play lacrosse and volleyball. As a goalie for the Greyhounds, she holds the record for the highest save percentage in school history. She’s a member of three Hall of Fames. She’s taken away countless honors and awards, including national coach of the year twice. But perhaps no award was as special as the NCAA Inspiration Award given to her in January.

Diane, I am a complete stranger, but send my prayers your way. You are truly inspiring. Cancer has recently struck my family, and hearing about your battle makes me even more motivated to do my part to raise $$ for hope of a cure. Carpe Diem. Prayers to you and your team kicking butt.

— Dan Barry

The cane came first for Geppi-Aikens in October 2002. Then came a walker. Finally, she was forced to a wheelchair around the holidays in December 2002. Although she can’t run anymore, she still has the fire that makes her a coaching legend.

‘I’m the same old me,’ Geppi-Aikens said. ‘I’m just sitting down instead of standing up. I’m not much different today than I would have been if I didn’t have cancer.’

Case in point, when her team played Princeton on March 9 and her best player, Suzanne Eyler, was ejected upon receiving her second yellow card, Geppi-Aikens refused to sit for it. The coach demanded one of her players wheel her onto the field to confront the referee.

‘Get me out there!’ Patti Albright remembers her saying. Patti’s daughter, Jen, is a senior on Loyola and is one of Geppi-Aikens’ best friends.

‘She’s taught Jen more than just lacrosse,’ Patti said. ‘I’m glad she was in Jen’s life.’

Albright is equally grateful. She spends as much time as she can helping her coach. By now, Albright may as well be her daughter. This year when Geppi-Aikens’ daughter Jessica went to her high school prom, Albright was one of the girls who did her makeup and fixed her hair.

‘They love Diane,’ said Patti, fighting back tears.

She wore a button with an image of Geppi-Aikens on it. All the parents wear them, even parents on the opposing team. All year other schools have been honoring Geppi-Aikens in their own ways. Lafayette players wear green bands (Loyola’s colors) on their sticks all season. Past teams have also worn green shoelaces when playing Loyola.

It seems every game the Greyhounds play is for their coach.

‘I don’t want them to win because I’m sick,’ Geppi-Aikens said. ‘But are emotions playing a part in it? Absolutely.’

It’s emotion off which she thrives. Right before overtime of that Princeton game in March, Geppi-Aikens called her team into a huddle.

‘Look at the person next to you,’ Geppi-Aikens told her team. ‘I want you to hug them. Then I want you to go out there and win.’

Fifty-five seconds into the third overtime, Loyola’s Talia Shacklock scored the game-winning goal, propelling the Greyhounds over then-No.1 Princeton, 9-8.

There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think of you and Thank God for so many things that you have said, done and sparked passion in the lives of all of us. You always make me smile Di!

I’m really looking forward to seeing you soon!

Love, sweethead

Some of the swelling in her face has gone down, and she has lost some weight, but the problems for Geppi-Aikens persist. Doctors have admitted that she has outlived all expectations. Since the current tumor is inoperable, all she can do is take her 25 daily pills.

‘They can’t do anything for her,’ John said. ‘We look at every day as a miracle. But she’s prepared, we’re prepared, the children are prepared. We hope she never leaves.’

Geppi-Aikens struggled with her image at first. She looks unrecognizable compared to the athletic and attractive woman who graced the turf of Curley Field when she was a student at Loyola.

‘When she looks in the mirror, she says, ‘Dad, look at me. I’m very unattractive,’ ‘ John said. ‘I didn’t look at her like that. I look at her as my beautiful daughter. I just see her as being the girl I’ve always known.’

Published on April 27, 2003 at 12:00 pm