A suburban high school teacher is inspiring his community by taking on new challenges in the face of extreme adversity.
“It's humbling to see her kindness and her generosity,” said Malinda Majok, principal at Harold L. Richards High School in Oak Lawn.
Mayock is referring to Christina Crail, a high school social studies teacher.
Crail took time off school last year after a rare illness forced her to have her right leg amputated below the knee, but this year she is making up for her absence by teaching summer classes.
“I had a tumor on the top of my foot. When I had it checked, it was diagnosed as a giant cell tumor of bone,” Crail said.
These types of tumors are not cancerous but can spread.
“I had to have my leg amputated to make sure the tumor didn't spread to my lungs, and in September we found out it had spread to my lungs, and then in April we found out it had spread to my lymph nodes,” Crail said.
Despite the devastating news, Crail still goes to school every day to serve her students, her family, her husband, Jeff, and their two children.
She's also committed to her teammates: Creel was recently selected for the U.S. Women's Amputee Soccer Team, a goal she achieved after having to relearn the sport she'd played her whole life.
“I had to look up some videos online to understand how to play, what the rules are, how to run on crutches, it's amazing,” Crail said.
Crail, 41, the only team member from Illinois, traveled to New York earlier this month to practice with the team in preparation for the international competition.
“This is the first ever Women's Amputee Soccer World Cup. It will be held in Colombia the first week of November,” Crail said.
Her colleagues at Richards High School are cheering her on.
“To see her on this team and compete and compete is awe-inspiring to say the least,” said fellow social studies teacher Lydia Loureiro.
As Crail raises funds to travel to Colombia with her team, she is also thinking about what the future holds for her rare disease.
“Now that the tumor is in a vital organ, I am looking for someone who knows drug trials or research or giant cell tumors to help me,” Krail said.
Even as he desperately searches for answers, Crail said playing for the U.S. team has given him a new sense of purpose.
“I think a lot of moms can relate to this. I got married and then very quickly became Mr. Crail in the classroom. Then I became a mother. Then I got sick and everything, but it's so nice to be back at Christina and be myself again,” Crail said.
“I've always seen myself as an athlete, a football player, and I didn't think I could do it because of the pain and everything, but right now it just feels good. It feels like home and it feels right,” Crail said.
