We've all heard the saying "life isn't fair." And we understand sometimes life doesn't make sense. This is especially evident in the case of Victoria East High School football player Matt Dorsett, who is fighting a rare cancer known as Ewing's sarcoma, which involves the bones and tissue.

Matt was diagnosed with the disease on Labor Day, when he woke up unable to walk because of two tumors compressing on his spine, causing him to become paralyzed from the waist down. Emergency surgery removed one of the tumors, but the other was unreachable because it was inside his spinal column. Now Matt must undergo chemotherapy to fight this disease. On top of all this, Matt's father died three months before his diagnosis.

We are sad to see someone so young facing such a desperate situation, but we applaud Matt for his positive attitude despite what he's dealing with. Even with a weakened immune system, he is pushing himself to get out of bed every day and spend time with friends, rather than stay at home and give in to despair.

Through all the fear and struggle of dealing with cancer and going through treatment, Matt is receiving support and love from his friends and fellow students at East High School. While he's had to start homeschooling due to his weakened immune system, he still attends football games, wearing his No. 13 jersey as he stands on the sideline. Each of the players wear wristbands that read MD13 in support of Matt. The East volleyball squad is also raising money for Matt.

We are proud to see Victoria students rallying around one of their own and giving him so much love and support during such a difficult time in his life. We applaud these students for all they are doing and have done for Matt.

This Friday, Victoria East and West will face each other on the football field. As this yearly rivalry approaches, Matt's story reminds us that while students may be rivals on the field, we are all Victorians and it is important to stand together in the face of true difficulty. The students of East have shown us that. We wish Matt a speedy recovery and we hope to see him out on the field again next year.

This editorial reflects the views of the Victoria Advocate's editorial board.