GREENSBORO, N.C. — The summer going into his junior year at Southwest Guilford High School, JJ Parsons was ready to be a key player on the Titans baseball team.
Suddenly, JJ noticed something wasn't right with his body.
"I went and told my dad about it before I went and got a physical because I was worried about it, but I wasn't trying to be worried about it," said JJ.
"It was about the yearly time for an exam anyway, and sometimes we just do the fast get in and out and check the boxes visits, said Jason, JJ's father.
A lump was growing on JJ's left testicle.
"I didn't want him to look at it or see it, JJ said. "He didn't say anything about it, but I asked him to check it. He told me, it should be nothing, but if it gets worse to get ultrasound."
The Parson's didn't think much of it, until wild pitch happened during a baseball game.
"I was catching and got a foul ball down there, and it swelled up really bad. I couldn't really walk," said JJ. "I went to the urologist a couple days later and he said I needed to get ultrasound."
While watching their son play baseball, Susie, JJ's mother, and Jason got the call any parent dreads getting.
Doctors told the Parson's their 17 year old son had testicular cancer.
"He called and said, we have to get this out," Susie said. "That was my uh oh moment."
After further testing, the official diagnosis was Paratesticular Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer in young adults.
"My whole life just flashed before my eyes," said JJ."It was scary knowing I had cancer at such a young age."
I almost didn't even hear what he said. I just heard the sarcoma and I knew that wasn't good," Susie said.
"I never thought I was going to die," said JJ. "I was never worried about that because I knew I wasn't going to give up."
"Even with the terrible Google searches that we did, I'm said No, this is not who we are," Jason said. "This is not how it's going to end."
While getting treatments, the one thing that kept JJ sane through it all was baseball.
"I was always hitting and throwing even when I was going through chemo," said JJ. "I'd come up here and take five swings and be super tired, but I would just take breaks and keep on going."
"That's what he wanted to do," said his dad, "That took his mind off what other other demons may be in his brain. So I was like, 'Let's go for it.'"
On November 7, 2023, JJ finally was able to ring the cancer free bell.
"I walked out of the room feeling great, said JJ . "I walked down the hallway to go ring the bell and all of my friends, my grandparents and parents were there. It was just like the best feeling ever."
All in time for his senior season of baseball at Southwest Guilford.
"His very first at bat this season, he hit a home run," said JJ's mom. "We're just like, What is going on."
I felt amazing because, I could hardly swing the bat," said JJ. I was so skinny and weak, the bat was swinging me. I just kind of threw my bat out there and hit it went really far."
That homerun was one of two he had in his first game back.
JJ's baseball career is far from over. This fall, he will be a freshman catcher on UNCG's baseball team.