Clawing back

When fans see their favorite sports team’s mascot during games they see a character - usually a giant, furry, larger-than-life costume. It is often overlooked that hidden underneath that costume is a real person.

But for the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies’ fans, their thoughts, prayers and support recently turned toward that person under the costume.

Eric McMahon, 28, never expected much publicity. The 2001 Arizona State University graduate from Mesa accepted a job with the Grizzlies in 2006 and worked hard building the character of the team mascot, Grizz, for over a year.

But in December his expectations of being the “somebody” behind Grizz’s character shattered as his name appeared on press releases throughout the country.

“I started noticing I wasn’t feeling well in October,” McMahon said. “I could hardly get through a game because I had no energy. They diagnosed me with one thing after another until I went to a specialist who knew right away what was wrong.”

On Dec. 18 McMahon was diagnosed with Stage III Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a type of cancer that spreads from one lymph node group to another. Doctors suspect he’s had the disease for over a year.

“I’m in Stage III where my lymph nodes are attacked from my neck all the way down to my waist,” McMahon said. “Luckily I’m not in stage IV where it gets into the bones and the chances (of beating the disease) are dramatically less.”

Almost instantaneously a Memphis Grizzlies media release was sent throughout the U.S. informing the country of McMahon’s diagnosis and immediate leave of absence to undergo treatment.

More shockingly, the release stated the team’s decision not to replace McMahon during his leave of absence. As a result, the release said, Grizz will not be attending any games or making any appearances while he undergoes treatment.

“It was really unprecedented that they did that, especially when a million people want my job,” McMahon said.

The release also mentioned the team had created the Friends of Grizz program. Beginning Dec. 22, patients of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and their families are invited to each home game as a show of solidarity for their battle and McMahon’s.

“The support is overwhelming, not just from friends and family, but work and the mascot community,” McMahon said. “You never think this many people care about you.”

Grizzlies players now wear a “00” patch on their warm-ups, representing Grizz’s jersey number, to show support for McMahon’s recovery. On Jan. 15 the Grizzlies Den team store began selling Friends of Grizz wristbands. Proceeds will go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Even with the intense amount of support, McMahon’s goal is to inform the public of the importance of staying in tune with the body.

“One of the biggest things people should know is don’t trivialize any symptoms, as little as they may be,” McMahon said. “Let your body be your indicator. I always just thought I was doing too much, or I had a cold, but my body was giving me these signs for a reason. I had lymph nodes popping out of my neck and I wasn’t really listening to my body the way I should.”

Hodgkin’s Lymphoma affects one in 25,000 people annually. The disease has a 93 percent cure rate, making it one of the most curable types of cancer. Hodgkin’s Lymphoma occurs most frequently in two separate age groups, young adults and those over 55.

“He does a lot of traveling,” McMahon’s mother, Mary, said. “I remember saying to him, 'Eric, you need to slow down and eat better.’ He had a lump last Christmas that he should have had checked out and we might have caught it in Stage I.”

The most common signs of Lymphoma resemble those of the flu, swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpit or groin, fatigue, fevers, chills, weightloss, night sweats, loss of appetite and itching.

McMahon hopes to be back out on the court as Grizz in less than six months, before treatment is over.

“Whether that will happen or not, I don’t know,” McMahon said, “but that’s my goal. I don’t want fans to forget the character I’ve built and forget what he brings to the games.”

Send cards and get well wishes to McMahon at 191 Beale St., Memphis, Tenn., 38103, or grizz@grizzlies.com.

To donate to St. Jude, visit www.stjude.org.

Editor’s note: The Ahwatukee Foothills News family asks that your prayers join ours for Mary McMahon, an advertising account executive for the AFN, and for her son Eric during his struggles.