S P O R T S & R E C R E AT I O N
AN UNBREAKABLE WILL Chip Madren won his battle with Stage 4 brain cancer as a teenager, and despite the lifelong effects of the disease, the 24-year-old channels his passion for the outdoors into his duties as a range safety officer for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. by CHRIS BRIDGES Referring to someone as “inspiring” can get a bit cliché at times, but in the case of Chip Madren, it feels like an understatement. The 24-year-old carries such a zest for life and a love for the outdoors that he does not let anything—including a years-long battle with cancer—get between him and his passions. Following a lengthy and frightening struggle to stay alive, Madren’s incredible story provides encouragement to anyone familiar with it. Madren uses a wheelchair for balance—one of the lingering effects of his fight with cancer. He has since rebounded to become a major part of shooting ranges associated with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Madren can also be found at the Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center in Mansfield, where he offers his advice on shooting and enjoys the outdoors to the fullest. Fight of His Life Before Aug. 17, 2010—the day he was diagnosed—Madren was a typical teenager who played football, basketball and baseball. He also enjoyed hunting and fishing. Madren loved being on the water and could often be found on a wakeboard or water skis. One day while on the lake, he lost consciousness while wakeboarding, leaving his brother to jump in and save him. Madren did not remember much about the incident the following day, but his family wondered about the cause. His mother Leah recalls thinking something was amiss. “We thought about a million other things,” she said. “He was a grumpy 13-year-old boy. I thought he was just being a typical
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teenager. That’s what we blamed it on. No one thinks their kid has brain cancer.” A student at the Saint Francis School in Dunwoody at the time, Madren went from attending class one morning to fighting for his life in the hospital the next. He was diagnosed with Stage 4 brain cancer. The official name? Medulloblastoma. Madren refers to it in simpler terms as “the really bad kind.” The cancer had already spread to his spine, resulting in his being days or perhaps even hours from being paralyzed permanently. Surgeons had to cut his cerebellum in two pieces. He could not speak for 10 months. He could not swallow. Everything had to be re-learned. Madren could not hold up his head or even blink his eyes. His mother taught him to squeeze one hand for “yes” and the other for “no.” “It was truly every parent’s worst nightmare,” Leah said. “His brain was still working, but he could not communicate.” Aggressive chemotherapy and radiation treatments followed and left Madren with even more obstacles to clear. Leah and her husband Ken kept hope alive and maintained belief in their son’s spirit. He was never alone in his battle. “For 18 months, we just hoped he would not die,” Leah said. “Chip had a strong will. We are all so proud of him. He was a great kid before this, and he is a great young man now. When he first got sick, we were told that children take clues from their parents. If we are optimistic and upbeat, then he would follow.”
