Although he's a basketball player, life still threw Mario Christian a curve ball. How he handled that surprise -- a diagnosis of Hodgkin's Disease -- has made an impact on his team, his school and his community.

Now a junior forward at State University College at New Paltz, Christian was diagnosed with the disease, a cancer that involves the lymph nodes, 18 months ago. He has fought the disease, continued to play basketball as best he could, and managed to keep his grades up, all while enduring chemotherapy. The accounting major also became a role model of sorts for local elementary school children who heard of his struggle. All the while, he's helped raise funds for other cancer victims.

Christian was reluctant to discuss his disease at first, then he realized that his story could help others. "I didn't want people to feel sorry for me," he said. "I wanted to be treated the same (as everyone else). Now I let people know about it."

Christian also was reluctant at first to undergo the chemotherapy that could save his life. But ultimately his doctor and his mother persuaded him to do it. While he's normally a very positive person, it was hard to remain upbeat during that difficult time.

"When you're throwing up, you can't sleep and your stomach hurts, it's hard," he said. "But that only lasts for a couple days (at a time). Then you're back to normal."

Only two months after chemotherapy, Christian was playing basketball, even though he wasn't up to his normal game yet.

"When his treatment ended last summer, it took him well into February to get back into basketball," said Joe Kremer, New Paltz State's head men's basketball coach. "He's just now coming into his own. He's turning into a very good player and is playing his best basketball right now."

Kremer said Christian's ordeal has been a learning experience for the team, which essentially has watched as he has undergone the difficult cancer treatment and fought his way back from it.

"I think as terrible a thing as cancer is, it's been something good for our players to experience," Kremer said. "We teach our players to be aware of what may be around the corner. For most guys, (that advice normally) goes in one ear and out the other."

And as far as Christian sharing his experience with others outside the team, Kremer says that has been helpful as well. "It's been better (in the long run) for him to talk about it. The Coaches vs. Cancer game (on January 26) was a coming out for him."

New Paltz State took on Vassar in the fund-raiser, and Christian came off the bench for 18 minutes to score six points, grab six rebounds, block six shots and nab three steals. Christian is from the Bronx, and it was the first time his mother had seen him play college ball. While the Hawks lost to Vassar, 58-52, the January fund-raiser still was a success.

"Tonight meant a lot," Christian said at the time. "The important thing was to increase awareness of cancer."

The cancer also brought Christian together with a first-grade class at Meadow Hill School in Newburgh, New York. After teacher Melanie Caldwell read a newspaper article about Christian's ordeal and his persistence, she talked to the class about him. The children discussed his courage, his character and his commitment to battling the disease. Then they started writing him letters and drawing pictures for him. "That's amazing," Christian said of the children embracing him.

Since he's feeling better now, Christian was able to visit the class in person this spring. He was taken aback by the fact that the children would reach out to help him, and by the fact that they consider him a role model -- not just for playing basketball while fighting the disease, but also for his persistence with his grades during his illness.

Christian last underwent chemotherapy last August, and doctors believe he is now cancer-free. He ran track this spring for the first time since he was a high-school senior. He has a summer job doing accounting work, and he also referees summer youth basketball league games.

Christian acknowledges that battling the disease has had a tremendous impact on him. "My outlook on life has changed. You have to be grateful for what you have," he said. "I know there are others who have it worse than I do. I see everything now as a blessing in disguise."