In sports, facing adversity comes with the territory — whether it’s on the basketball court, football field, baseball diamond, or any other playing surface.
Those who can rise above adversity set themselves up to deal with any challenges thrown their way later in life.
It’s always tough to picture a child going through advanced medical treatment at such a young age. Kids should just be kids, yet when Gabriel Santini Naughton received a surprisingly scary diagnosis, all the then-6-year-old did was persevere in the face of adversity.
Santini Naughton, now 17, is about to graduate as a senior from Msgr. McClancy H.S., East Elmhurst. He grew up in Astoria playing Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) basketball at St. Joseph’s and then later at Immaculate Conception.
At McClancy, he played on the basketball and tennis teams while also coaching CYO hoops at Immaculate Conception. He enjoyed his time playing in the CYO so much that he wanted to continue the organization’s mission by giving of his own time — despite his hectic school schedule. Additionally, he is the student body president who also leads the school each day in morning prayer and announcements. Giving back to his community has become second nature.
As a 6-year-old, Santini Naughton was eager to begin first grade, but on his first day, he immediately developed flu-like symptoms. A few days later, he had a very high fever, prompting his parents to take him to the emergency room.
After a series of blood tests, the family received the shocking news that Santini Naughton had hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a rare though life-threatening syndrome that causes white blood cells to attack healthy blood cells and organs. All of a sudden, this wide-eyed 6-year-old was facing the vast unknown.
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He spent his first grade school year in and out of the hospital while undergoing six months of chemotherapy. Sometimes, he’d miss a month of school at a time. Tutors helped him catch up with the work, and slowly but surely, he started to rebound.
In April 2015, he was deemed cancer-free. While he still visits his oncologists once a year for check-ups, all his tests have come back clean. Even at a young age, Santini Naughton was able to reflect on the experience and use it as a guiding light in his life, especially through his volunteering.
“Being 6 years old, all I really cared about was going to the park and being out running around,” he said. “I enjoy volunteer opportunities because they’re such a blessing for me, especially in my circumstance.”
Santini Naughton is set to attend Seton Hall University in West Orange, New Jersey. He plans to major in neuroscience with the intention of attending medical school. Of course, he’ll look for volunteer opportunities in the surrounding neighborhoods as he adjusts to college life.
“The main reason I want to go into medicine and be able to impact and help the lives of other people is my background and what I’ve been through,” he said.
Recently, Santini Naughton was among a group of Queens teenagers recognized at Borough President Donovan Richards’ first annual Youth Empowerment Awards at Queens Borough Hall. He was nominated by the Teen Center at Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens, of which he’s a member.
“It was awesome to be recognized in that way,” he said. “It’s definitely just a reminder that my work around the community is being noticed. Obviously, I do these things without looking for an award, but at the same time, it’s great to be recognized by such a prestigious government leader.”
“Gabe is very inquisitive; he’s always asking some good questions,” said Anthony Olszewski (’01), McClancy’s boys’ varsity basketball head coach as well as the school’s director of admissions. “He was the best teammate in practice, always getting everyone ready and focused. The way he is as a person, success is definitely on the horizon.
“No doubt about it that whatever he puts his mind to, he figures it out and gets it done.”
Santini Naughton’s leadership, dedication, and positivity are infectious, and he’s evolved into a role model for his peers and a hallmark of what it looks like to overcome adversity.
Based on his background in both sports and valiantly battling through an illness, this voracious volunteer has two words for any challenges he’ll now face in adulthood: Game on!