Former Eastern High School basketball player dies at 18 years old after Stage 4 sarcoma

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Louisville teenager who faced Stage 4 osteosarcoma has died.

Brycen Doughty, 18, was a student at Eastern High School who also played basketball. He was diagnosed with Stage 4 osteosarcoma in 2021 and had multiple surgeries to remove tumors in his leg and hip.

The teenager told WDRB News he thought it was just growing pains at first.

Brycen Doughty, 17, uses walker after surgery to remove cancerous tumor.

"My knee felt stiff. That's what it felt like," he said in 2022. "I had played seven games in 12 hours on the circuit, and they said it was just fatigue. And I was like, 'Makes sense.' Later, the pain just didn't seem to go away."

He previously said his faith and support from family, friends and teammates helped him stay focused on the positives. He also said he felt special with all the support and an outpouring of love he received from the community. Fundraisers raised more than $50,000 to help with his medical costs.

Doughty died July 2. A visitation will be held July 11 from 2-8 p.m. at Ratterman & Sons at 10600 Taylorsville Road. After a visitation from 10 a.m. to noon, a funeral service will be held at Southeast Christian Church on Friday at noon.

Doughty spoke at the Race to Cure Sarcoma in downtown Louisville last year.

Sarcoma is a cancer of the connective tissue, making up just 1% of all adult cancer in the U.S. Sarcoma makes up 15 to 20% of childhood cancers. Each year, more than 16,000 people are diagnosed with one of the 100 types of sarcoma.

This year, the Race to Cure Sarcoma Louisville will be held on Aug. 10 at the Big Four Lawn. To register or donate, click here.

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