Softball | 12/14/2017 11:54:00 AM

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BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - In September of this year, Bloomsburg University softball player Marissa Shelhamer (Bloomsburg, Pa./Central Columbia) set out on a study abroad trip to Essex, England. The junior would spend the fall semester studying mathematics and Spanish at the University of Essex.
 
Shelhamer was getting ready to embark on the busiest two weeks of her studies in England as she was approaching finals, projects, and exams at Essex when she learned of an issue back home in Bloomsburg.
 
On the morning of Tuesday, December 5, Shelhamer's mother, Denise, was involved in a car accident that left her in serious condition at Geisinger Medical Center. With no extra funds available to purchase a ticket back to the U.S for a quick visit, Marissa would not be able to be at her mother's side as she recovered from her injuries.
 
So, Shelhamer's teammates decided to take it upon themselves to bring Marissa back home for a couple of days to be with her mother.
 
"A lot of us were talking to Marissa all week trying to help her with the situation and keep her calm," said senior teammate Kalynn Wheeland (South Williamsport, Pa./South Williamsport). "We knew she was trying to get a plane ride home to see her mom but then she said for sure that she was not going to make it back because of the costs of the plane ticket." 
 
The team, behind Wheeland, then pitched in to provide Shelhamer with enough money to purchase a plane ticket – to-and-from England – to visit her mother and be with her for a couple of days before she had to head back overseas to finish up finals for the semester.
 
"I texted some of the girls on the team to see what they thought about all of us chipping in to get her home to see her mom," added Wheeland. "When we brought it up to the whole team, they all were so excited to be able to help her because she would have done the same for us."
 
"It was a tremendous act of kindness and camaraderie," said Bloomsburg University head coach, Susan Kocher. "We actually preach to them about working together as a team. The sport of softball is a team game – no one person can do it alone. This unfortunate situation, I think, brought us even closer together and is making us realize that more can be accomplished when working together. I'm just very thankful that Marissa was able to come home and that Denise is doing well."
 
"Marissa is a great person and friend and has helped a lot of us through rough times, so it meant the world to the team that we could surprise her and help her get home," concluded Wheeland.  "The senior class went to see Marissa's mom in the hospital and it was so touching knowing that we helped get Marissa home to see her."
 
Shelhamer's mother is doing well and has been released from Geisinger Medical Center – certainly an early Christmas present for Marissa and the entire Huskies' softball team.