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SYDNEY, N.S. - Kevin Abraham couldn’t believe what he was hearing when he received a phone call after visiting a walk-in clinic in Halifax.

The 25-year-old New Waterford native was playing indoor soccer with a local team in Halifax in the winter of 2017, when a ball struck him in the chest, causing him to lose his breath.

Unexpectedly finding himself to be in extreme pain after the incident, Abraham decided to go to the clinic.

“They gave me a puffer and sent me for an X-ray,” said Abraham, noting he had a bit of a cold at the time.

The same night, shortly after the test, Abraham received a phone call from the clinic, letting him know they had found a black spot on his lung.

“I think I was more shocked than anything,” said Abraham. “You hear about people getting sick all the time, but you never actually sit there and think that it will happen to you.”

After more tests, doctors discovered in April 2017 that there wasn’t just a spot on his lung, it was a cancerous tumor on Abraham’s fifth rib.

“I remember trying not to pass out in the doctor’s office,” said Abraham about hearing the news. “I remember trying to wake up from what I thought was a bad dream.”

The disease the doctors had discovered was Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis, a rare cancer that can damage tissue or cause lesions to form in one or more places in the body.

According to the Histiocytosis Association, it’s estimated that the disease is found in one to two adults per million.

On Aug. 15, 2017, Abraham had a three-hour surgery to remove the tumor at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre in Halifax. Along with the tumor, doctors also removed three ribs on his right side and all the tissue around them.

“If the cancer had spread, then I would have had to undergo chemotherapy on Dec. 24, 2017, so it was a scary thought.”

Abraham was expected to stay in the hospital for seven to 10 days after the surgery. He surprised many when he began walking two days later and was discharged after only five days.

Abraham began playing soccer with the New Waterford Minor Soccer Association at a young age and quickly discovered his passion for being a goalkeeper.

He later went on to play for the Cape Breton Selects as well as the Cape Breton Capers men’s soccer program in 2011, after graduating from Breton Education Centre.

Abraham moved to Halifax two years ago to finish his political science degree at Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU), with plans to apply to law school.

Despite hearing the terrifying news and eventually having the surgery, Abraham remained positive, providing updates to his friends and family on social media.

“Staying positive was very important because without positivity there is no hope,” said Abraham.

On Dec. 22, 2017, Abraham received the best Christmas gift a person could receive — the news that his cancer had not spread and that he had beaten the disease.

“I think I cried for 30 minutes,” said Abraham. “I was so happy, it felt like the ultimate weight was lifted off my shoulders — it was a feeling I’ll never forget.”

Although he was cancer-free, Abraham didn’t expect to ever play competitive soccer again.

“I thought maybe I could play recreational soccer, but I never thought I’d play goalkeeper again, considering I was missing ribs.”

Much to his surprise, he was wrong.

Today, just over a year after having surgery, Abraham is back on the field and playing competitive soccer as the starting ’keeper with the Mount Saint Vincent Mystics of the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA).

“The soccer field is my home away from home and it has always been a big part of my life, so being able to get back on the field almost brought me to tears,” said Abraham, who picked up his first win of the season on Sept. 8.

Abraham and the Mystics are currently second overall in the seven-team ACAA standings with a 2-1-2 record. Abraham hopes to lead the club to a championship this season.

Although he admits he’s still sore at times from the surgery, that won’t stop him from playing the sport he loves.

“I am taking things one game at a time and I’m still careful,” said Abraham. “I finally feel like I’m back to my old self.”

jeremy.fraser@cbpost.com

Twitter: @CBPost_Jeremy