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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Rypien Plays, But Thoughts Are With 2-Year-Old Son Young Andrew Undergoes Chemotherapy For Malignant Brain Tumor

Associated Press

It’s not just football anymore for Mark Rypien, it’s therapy.

While his 2-year-old son lay in a hospital bed recovering from his first day of chemotherapy for a malignant brain tumor, the St. Louis Rams’ backup quarterback called signals in an exhibition game against Kansas City.

Playing Friday night helped lessen the burden, if only for a little while.

“It’s good to be out there,” said Rypien, a former Shadle Park and Washington State University star. “It’s good for me.”

It’s good for his teammates, too. After the Rams’ 14-13 victory, Andrew Rypien got the game ball.

“It was hard to really tell the coaches and players and organization how you feel,” Rypien said. “It chokes you up and it’s hard to talk about it. The ball’s in my bag and it’s on the way to the hospital.”

Rypien missed the Rams’ first three preseason games to be at home with his son, Andrew, in Post Falls. He left training camp July 30 after Andrew went into a seizure. A tumor about 5 centimeters in diameter was removed the following day.

On Friday, Andrew Rypien began 18 weeks of therapy - roughly the length of the NFL season - at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Two hours before the opening kickoff at the sold-out Trans World Dome, as Rypien began to prepare, Andrew underwent the first treatments. As the norm with chemotherapy, side effects include nausea, vomiting and other flu-like symptoms.

Rypien was at the hospital Friday morning, but had to return to Rams Park for meetings. He went back to the hospital for another visit in the afternoon before heading for the stadium.

“It’s going to be a tough road for Andrew, we all know that,” Rypien said. “But the bottom line is he’s in good hands.

“We’re in good hands and we’re looking forward to carrying on some sort of normalcy in our lives.”

One way for Rypien is shaving his head. If Andrew must endure this indignity, he his father can, too.

Rypien contemplated retiring, ending an 11-year career that includes a Super Bowl MVP for Washington. He decided it would be better for his family if he kept working.

In his first preseason action, Rypien was 7 for 14 for 78 yards. Instead of blocking out the dire nature of his life, he used Andrew as inspiration.

“If you have a good series, you kind of get a smile and say, ‘Andrew, this one’s for you, Bud.”’