Missouri State football's Connor Lair thankful to finish chemotherapy for blood cancer
A throng of Missouri State football players and coaches stood in the lobby of Mercy Children's Hospital on Tuesday, each making room for a grinning Connor Lair as he sauntered toward the exit door.
Dozens cleared a path for the Bears' sophomore running back before singing along to impromptu lyrics that explained the joyous occasion: "No more chemo. No more chemo."
Lair, a West Plains product who was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in September, had successfully completed the painstaking chemotherapy process. He proceeded to ring a ceremonial bell outside the Springfield medical center, a time-honored tradition for reaching the milestone.
Friends, family, doctors, nurses and what appeared to be most of MSU's sizable roster celebrated the occasion.
A happy and healthy Lair — all 6-foot-1, 235 pounds of the former Zizzers star — appreciated their presence.
"There's been a lot of tough talks with God during all of this," Lair said. "I couldn't be here without him, or my family, my friends. Their support has been great."
Lair said he still has 17 more days of radiation therapy that he expects to last through much of March, but he expects to participate in spring football practice in the coming months. He began working out again last week.
After missing nearly the entire 2023 season following diagnosis of the rare blood cancer, he is eager to buckle a chinstrap again.
At the height of Lair's uncertainty while battling the disease — spells of nausea and vomiting were common with his treatment — he wasn't sure what his football future would entail.
"I was fortunate to have a diagnosis that lasted only six months," he said of pushing through the form of cancer that several studies say has a high survival rate. "I've seen kids that had it much worse, some that went more than two years (of treatment) They were an to inspiration to me."
His mother, Erin Lair, was one of several family members wearing purple or white T-shirts that read "Tackle Cancer" with a football photo of Connor.
"He's remained so positive through this," said Erin, who became emotional as she described her son's resolve. "It puts so much into perspective. Not everyone gets to have this. This is a blessing."
Connor said he remembers traveling to an early September game at the University of Tennessee-Martin when he was given his cancer diagnosis, devastating the 19-year-old as he sat on the team bus.
Thousands of dollars were soon raised by community members in Springfield and West Plains to help curb his medical bills.
"I was on the bus, and every childhood memory flashed in my head," said Lair, whose hair has started to grow back following the chemo treatments. "Ever since then, I've learned to appreciate each day. "
Ryan Collingwood covers a wide range of topics for the News-Leader with an emphasis on public safety. He can be reached by phone at 417-258-8174 and email at rcollingwood@news-leader.com. You can also follow Ryan on social media at X.com/rwcollingwood.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Missouri State football's Connor Lair finishes chemotherapy treatments
