#Charleytough Getting Stronger Amid Outpouring of Support
By
Tim Robinson
Special for MHSAA.com
March 11, 2021
On a recent evening at the home of Corunna boys basketball coach John “Rocky” Buscemi and his wife Chloe, the household is a whirlwind of activity.
Their daughter Charley, 5, darts in and out of the Buscemis’ home office to ask questions, mimic riding a horse, or whatever else comes to the mind of a little girl full of energy.
The only thing that would tell you that cancer had interrupted their lives for five months in the fall and winter is the hair that just now is starting to grow on Charley’s scalp.
Shock, then Support
Charley Buscemi is named after her grandfather, Charley Silm, who refereed high school basketball for 22 years in and around mid-Michigan when he wasn’t working on the farm. He often took his daughter, Chloe, to games he worked when she was a youngster.
“I remember packing up my little bag with snacks and watch my dad officiate,” Chloe Silm-Buscemi recalled. “Even though I didn’t play basketball, I grew up in the gym, just like Charley did.”
Her daughter has grown up watching her dad coach. She confidently refers to Corunna players as “her boys” and announces that she wants to coach with him some day.
Last summer, Charley was having trouble sleeping, and sleep apnea was diagnosed. Her doctor advised that removing Charley’s tonsils would likely eliminate the apnea.
The Buscemis agreed, and her tonsils were removed Sept. 25.
“We knew nothing else,” Chloe said, “but apparently the doctor noticed that one of the tonsils looked abnormal, or a little awkward, so he sent it off for testing.”
Chloe said she was told that any complications might require another operation to stop bleeding in the area, but she was stunned when the doctor’s office called back Oct. 1.
“We didn’t know the testing had been done,” Chloe said. “We got a call that said ‘the findings of the pathology are consistent with a diagnosis of lymphoma.’ And we were like, ‘Wait. What?’ It caught us completely off guard. (Charley) was racing in circles around our kitchen island and our dining room table, and I was like, no, you’ve got the wrong kid here. There’s no way this kid has cancer.”
“Initially, it was, this can’t be right,” Rocky said. “I was trying to read between the lines and find some wording that gave some idea that this is what they think. I tried to hang onto the idea that there’s got to be more tests, and those tests will show us that it’s not (cancer).”
The diagnosis was correct. Charley had diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It’s a fast-growing cancer that affects B-lymphocytes, a type of blood cell that helps fight infection.
While it is a fast-growing lymphoma, it’s considered potentially curable.
The cancerous cells found in Charley’s tonsil were sent to the Mayo Clinic and the National Institute of Health, and the diagnosis was confirmed.
Charley began chemotherapy at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing and celebrated her fifth birthday there.
Chloe, meanwhile, was also navigating the second trimester of her pregnancy.
“I spent most of my second trimester sleeping on a cot in the hospital while she got chemo treatments,” Chloe said.
“Her first round of chemo was horrible,” Rocky said. “She didn’t react to it well, and we were there 20 of 25 days.”
But once word got out, people in the Corunna school system, neighbors, fellow coaches and others reached out in the Buscemis’ time of need.
“The schools were so understanding,” Rocky said. “Once we found out, it was, go be with your family. Put in for your (Family and Medical Leave Act). Everyone was supportive from that end.”
The Corunna basketball players drove out to the Buscemi home and raked up its leaves. Some Corunna alumni got together to string up Christmas lights, the Orchard Lake St. Mary’s team sent her a giant stuffed panda, and many more showed support.
“We’re working on thank-yous now,” Chloe said. “My mom says people would know if you posted a thank-you (online), but I want to be able to send something out. Right now there’s something like 250 thank-yous.”
Strength & Sliver Linings
Charley had two rounds of chemotherapy and has been pronounced cancer-free. She has monthly meetings with her oncologist and quarterly CT scans scheduled for the next year.
“They’re watching her heart, because the chemo can affect that, so we meet with the cardiologist,” Chloe says.
“It’s a lot for a little person,” she adds as Charley flits back and forth between parents, announcing at one point she has cleaned her plate at dinner with no small amount of pride. “But for the most part, she’s just like this. She’s pretty happy, pretty easy-going, and takes it in stride. Sometimes I struggle with it more than she does. You feel totally helpless.”
For Rocky, the whole experience is full of silver linings, however hard-won.
“You’re always trying to find the silver linings,’ he said. “We had no idea she had cancer, but the silver lining was once we found out what it was, and it was confined to the tonsil, the blessing was it was almost a miracle we had her tonsils removed almost at the same time it was starting to develop. It wasn’t found anywhere else, so that’s a silver lining.
“Recently she’s been diagnosed as having celiac disease, and we’ve been given the OK to (shift) to a gluten-free diet. If she hadn’t had cancer, we might not have known until she was a teenager and had permanent damage. We’ve been so fortunate and blessed to find things out when we did.”
The Buscemis talk in tones of awe and appreciation for the caring and other gestures that have come their way.
“It’s incredibly humbling,” Rocky said. “It makes you want to do for someone else. I’m much more aware of people in need, and I hope to pay it forward. There are a lot of people you wouldn’t have anticipated reaching out who have reached out.”
The fear and stress of that time, he said, are often near, even with Charley in the clear.
“I wanted to be strong for Chloe and my family and be that rock that could be leaned on,” he said. “But man, oh man, there are still mornings when I drive to school and tear up. It’s nice to have other guys who understand that or have been through it. I’d be the rock here (at home) and then I’d be emotional with my friends in the coaching fraternity.”
Charley and 3-year-old brother Sam were mainstays at practice last year, playing quietly in a corner of the gym while the team practiced. Charley was at most every game, and Rocky always made a point of looking for her and her mother in the stands.
That hasn’t been the case this year, as Charley’s immune system has been weakened by the chemo and has kept her at home this season, watching the Cavaliers play on her mother’s laptop.
There’s been another change, too.
“I’ve adopted a one-day-at-a-time, appreciate-every-moment approach,” Rocky said. “A year ago in 9-degree weather, I might have been trying to find reasons not to go outside. Now if Charley wants to go sledding, we’re going sledding!”
He laughs as he says that, a man who has a new appreciation of things.
His players have been honoring her, too, wearing black T-shirts at warmups with a large unicorn on the front with the hashtag #Charleytough and the Corunna logo on a basketball.
As for Charley, she will go back to kindergarten next year, but at the moment, she’s anxiously awaiting the birth of her brother or sister March 22.
She already has informed her parents that her new sibling will be a girl, named Maggie, and wants the newborn to sleep in her room.
“She says, ‘Mommy, I’ll feed the baby,’” Chloe said, chuckling. “I told Rocky we don’t have to worry about parenting a third baby. Charley’s got it.”
Besides another new brother or sister, if all goes well, Charley will be back on the sideline with her dad and her basketball team next winter.
Rocky says his family’s experience, among other things, showed him how strong the ties are in the coaching community.
“It was nice to see the game be the bridge that allowed me to reach out and depend on people a little bit,” he said “Without it, you don’t have those relationships. Things like this make you realize how special those things really are. If you don’t experience it, you don’t get to understand people’s true motivations.
“It was humbling,” he added. “It was scary at times, but all in all it was a little bit of everything that helped us to be able to get through this.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Charley Buscemi and her dad Rocky enjoy a fun moment at home. (2) From left: Charley, Rocky, Chloe and Sam Buscemi. (3) Corunna players wear #Charleytough T-shirts as warm-ups for their games. They prominently feature Charley’s favorite animal, a unicorn. (4) Charley’s immune system isn’t robust enough for her to attend games in person, but she never misses a chance to watch “her boys” play on her mom’s laptop. (Photos courtesy of the Buscemi family.)
Breslin Bound: 2023-24 Boys Report Week 10
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 5, 2024
Maybe it’s driven by the warmer-than-usual winter across the state, but more than a few people have brought up lately that this boys basketball season has seemed to fly by.
And it’s about to speed up even more, relatively speaking.
Three weeks remain of this regular season. Four leagues have begun or this week will start their tournaments, teams are clinching championships in other conferences all over Michigan, and two weeks from today first-round MHSAA brackets will be set.
Speaking of, be sure to keep an eye on Michigan Power Ratings as those District seeds are worked out over the next 13 days – and check out the MPR FAQ page for explanations of all things brackets, as the seeding process actually begins Sunday with the release of this season’s bracket formula.
“Breslin Bound” is powered by MI Student Aid and based on results and schedules posted for each school at MHSAA.com.
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 56, East Lansing 37 The Eaglets (15-1) finished a week that saw them also defeat Detroit Catholic Central and Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice by downing the Trojans (14-2) at the 2K24 Showcase at Aquinas College in a matchup of teams currently ranked Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, in Division 1 MPR.
2. East Kentwood 70, Warren Lincoln 43 After falling in Saturday showcase games the last two weekends, East Kentwood (10-5) made a loud statement in this one also at the 2K24 Showcase against a Warren Lincoln team (13-3) expected to contend in Division 2.
3. Muskegon Reeths-Puffer 63, Muskegon 45 The Rockets (14-1) moved into first place alone in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Green, handing Muskegon (11-2) its first defeat of the season and first at home in nearly two years.
4. Ann Arbor Huron 72, Grand Rapids Northview 71 The River Rats (13-2) ran their winning streak to seven with one of their best this season, sending Northview to 12-2 in another matchup of top-seven Division 1 MPR teams at the 2K24 event.
5. Grand Rapids Christian 60, Muskegon 51 As noted in last week’s report, the 2K24 Showcase was loaded, and the Eagles (14-1) sit atop Division 2 MPR after this win over the Big Reds at Aquinas.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Cadillac (14-1) The Vikings’ lone loss was 58-56 to still-undefeated Whitehall on Jan. 23, and they’ve bounced back with wins over Dearborn Fordson, Ludington and Traverse City West. The 58-44 victory over the second-place Titans moved Cadillac within one more win of clinching a share of the Big North Conference championship after sharing it with Traverse City Central last season. The Vikings finished 22-5 overall a year ago and have avenged 2022-23 losses to Mount Pleasant, Central and Petoskey. Wayne Memorial (10-4), Reed City (15-2) and Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (15-1) are among interesting tests remaining.
Port Huron Northern (14-3) The Huskies are waiting on the result of tonight’s Warren Lincoln/New Haven matchup to find out if they’ll tie Lincoln for the Macomb Area Conference White title or finish second. But aside from last week’s upset loss to Romeo, Northern’s only other defeats were to Lincoln in their first of two meetings (winning the second 59-57) and to still-undefeated Utica in its season opener. The Huskies have built on last season’s 20-4 finish with nine wins total against teams with double-digit victories, and bounced back from the Romeo loss with a 62-36 rebound against St. Clair (13-5). A Dec. 28 win over Saginaw, 67-64, also is among highlights.
DIVISION 2
Adrian (12-2) The Maples have been solid the last two seasons with 13 wins last winter and 15 the season before. But they’ve taken a major step and could add significantly to it against Chelsea on Tuesday in a matchup that could eventually lead to a shared Southeastern Conference White title between the two. Adrian lost the Jan. 19 meeting with the Bulldogs 97-87, but otherwise have fallen only to Parma Western (12-4) on Dec. 5. Adrian bounced back from that first loss by defeating Mason (15-2), and head into this rematch coming off a 65-43 victory over Tecumseh (12-3).
Chelsea (10-5) As noted, Chelsea sees Adrian again Tuesday with league championship implications, but also had a win over Tecumseh 61-48 last week. The Bulldogs have won six straight, starting with a 59-57 edging of Saline (12-3) on Jan. 16. Chelsea was 4-5 heading into that game, but has seen several of the state’s best with those losses to Division 1 Ann Arbor Huron (13-2), Saginaw Heritage (11-2), Detroit Cass Tech (14-1), Detroit U-D Jesuit (13-4) and Ypsilanti Lincoln (12-3). The Bulldogs also won their matchup with Parma Western, 56-40.
DIVISION 3
Chesaning (15-0) After finishing 17-6 both of the last two seasons, Chesaning has nearly equaled that win total during this perfect run and sits alone atop the Mid-Michigan Activities Conference standings after sharing last year’s title with Ovid-Elsie and Durand. Chesaning has swept the Railroaders this regular season and won the first meeting with Ovid-Elise 43-38 in double overtime, with the rematch ending the regular season Feb. 23. A 55-50 season-opening win over Lake Fenton (12-5) has been a good indicator for this winter, and matchups with Saginaw Nouvel (12-3) on Feb. 20 and then O-E could be just as telling about the playoffs.
Painesdale Jeffers (16-1) The Copper Mountain Conference overall championship could be on the line Tuesday when Jeffers travels to Lake Linden-Hubbell (14-2), as they are the only teams undefeated in league play. Jeffers won all three of their meetings last season including in the District Final as the Jets finished 25-2 and reached the Division 4 Quarterfinals. The only loss this winter was 75-72 to Ishpeming on Dec. 27, and Jeffers could see the Hematites again in District play. The Jets have a chance to avenge their other 2022-23 defeat Feb. 16 when they go to Escanaba.
DIVISION 4
Bellaire (12-3) The Eagles are 8-1 since the calendar turned to 2024, their only loss of that streak Jan. 16 to Mancelona 50-49. That’s left Bellaire and Mancelona tied for first in the Ski Valley Conference, with the rematch Feb. 20 at Bellaire. The Ski Valley has five teams with 10 or more wins, and Bellaire is a combined 5-0 against the other three, with the Eagles’ only other defeats at the Reed City holiday tournament to the host Coyotes (15-2) and Fremont. Next week’s matchup with Division 3 Charlevoix (13-3) should also provide some notable prep for the postseason.
Maple City Glen Lake (11-3) A 60-51 loss to Benzie Central two weeks ago put the Lakers a game back in the Northwest Conference standings as they seek a repeat championship. But those two see each other again Feb. 16 at Benzie, and Glen Lake could bring in some momentum from facing Traverse City St. Francis six days earlier – the Gladiators ended the Lakers’ season a year ago. Glen Lake’s only other defeats this winter were to Charlevoix during the first week and 81-80 in double overtime to Harbor Springs also during the first half of December. Last week’s opponents, Buckley and Frankfort, both have 10 wins this season, and the Lakers won 68-48 and 57-30, respectively.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – West Bloomfield (11-5) at North Farmington (14-1) – North Farmington can clinch a share of the Oakland Activities Association Red championship, or West Bloomfield could join the Raiders as the only teams with just one league loss after North Farmington won the first round 61-46.
Friday – Grand Rapids Northview (12-2) at Grand Rapids Christian (14-1) – These two are tied atop the O-K Conference White with 7-0 league records after their Jan. 12 game was postponed to Feb. 14.
Friday – Muskegon (11-2) at Muskegon Reeths-Puffer (14-1) – With their first meeting this season also originally scheduled for Jan. 12 but played Jan. 30, this will be a quick turnaround for the rematch and likely O-K Green decider.
Friday – Pickford (13-1) at Rudyard (11-4) – The Pirates are in first in the Eastern Upper Peninsula Conference by a game ahead of Rudyard after winning their first meeting 70-48.
Saturday – Saginaw (11-4) at Davison (10-3) – This Cardinal Classic game matches up the Saginaw Valley League-leading Trojans and second-place Cardinals, with Saginaw winning their SVL matchup 78-70 on Dec. 7.
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PHOTOS (Top) Grand Ledge and DeWitt players meet in the lane during the Panthers’ 52-35 win Friday. (Middle) Painesdale-Jeffers' Matthew Shutz (21) brings the ball up the court during his team’s game with Ishpeming this season. (Top photo by Terry Lyons; middle photo by Cara Kamps.)