In many ways, Vance Charter School Senior Collin Hughes is like any other high school athlete. He hit the gym to get in shape to get ready for basketball season. He wanted to tone up, maybe shed a few pounds to put him at his very best on the court.
But Collin stands out from his peers in a number of ways because of what he’s been dealing with for the past couple of years. And last week, Vance Charter School took a few minutes to celebrate a young man for overcoming adversity with the courage of a champion.
Collin is one of the finalists for the Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Courage award, presented jointly by the Atlanta Tipoff Club and Jersey Mike’s restaurants.
He accepted the award as VCS students, faculty, friends and his team of doctors looked on.
This award isn’t just about basketball, said VCS Principal Susan Satterwhite. “While athletic achievement is important, the Courage Award focuses on something deeper. It recognizes resilience when life is difficult, leadership when others are watching and determination when giving up might feel easier… Courage isn’t always loud. It’s often found in consistency, humility and perseverance,” she said.
Collin’s mom, Michelle, provided details of her son’s long journey through repeated bouts of sickness, hospitalizations and treatments since March 2024.
At first, they thought it was just a virus. But Collin had a rare autoimmune disease called autoimmune hemolytic anemia – AIHA. For unexplained reasons, the body attacks its own red blood cells, fighting them as if they were a virus, Michelle said.
A normal hemoglobin is in the 12-14 range. Collin’s hemoglobin, at its lowest, was a life-threatening 2.1.
During that initial hospitalization, he spent two weeks in the hospital. He went from a happy, normal boy to a very sick young man. He had blood transfusions, high doses of steroids and chemotherapy to try to stem the tide.
His body weakened, his muscular physique gone was a tough reality for him, his mom said.
“But he didn’t let those changes change him,” she said.
The steroids didn’t work at first, and he had to stay out of school because of his elevated risk of infection.
“He pushed through nausea and sweating to get through, that’s just who Collin is,” she said.
Another drop in his hemoglobin prompted another trip to the hospital. But Collin didn’t just lie in bed – he started designing t-shirts and eventually developed his own brand, Humbl.
“He wanted to do something positive with his free time,” she said. He created a website and sold his shirts.
Thankfully, his labs improved and Collin was discharged. All those steroids and the chemotherapy infusions, however, caused some pretty significant weight gain.
But Collin has an “uncanny ability to ignore the bad and remain focused on his goals,” said his mom.
He greeted people who came to give blood at blood drives in his honor. That summer, he worked at the school’s basketball camp and was a camp counselor at Camp Kerr Lake.
Another bout with fever landed him in the hospital yet again, taking about a week to improve.
His doctors quashed his hopes for playing soccer his junior year. But they couldn’t keep him from being at practices and games to encourage his teammates from the sidelines.
And then it was basketball season. Collin hit the gym between 5 and 6 in the morning to drop the weight and get in shape.
He met his goal of building back muscle and improving his endurance to earn a starting spot.
They introduced him as “The Comeback Kid” on Nov. 19, the first game of that season.
By January 2025, he was back in the hospital, in significant pain from gallstones but with a positive attitude.
Always a positive attitude.
“His courage on tough days was contagious,” Michelle recalled.
His doctors wanted to operate to remove his gall bladder, but that would mean he’d miss the rest of the season.
Collin struck a deal with the doctors to postpone the surgery and Collin scored 8 points the next night.
The Knights ended up TENAC conference champs in 2025. Collin got the “Heart and Hustle” award.
This year, the VCS Knights are an impressive 12-0 in Triangle North Conference play and are 19-2 overall.
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Games on Tuesday – Boys
- Vance Charter 73 Eno River 58
- Wake Prep 57 Louisburg 24
- Bunn 40 Roanoke Rapids 36
Games on Tuesday – Girls
- Vance Charter 64 Eno River 7
- Wake Prep 42 Louisburg 35
- Bunn 60 Roanoke Rapids 39
Games on Wednesday – Boys
- Vance Charter @ Excelsior
- J.F. Webb vs. South Granville
- Big 7 Conference Tournament
Games on Wednesday – Girls
- Vance Charter @ Excelsior
- South Granville vs. Orange
- Big 7 Conference Tournament
College Games on Wednesday – Men
- Louisburg College vs. Bryant & Stratton
College Games on Wednesday – Women
- Louisburg College @ Cape Fear CC
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