Submitted photo The Clark family of Humboldt includes (left to right): Derrik, Ashlyn, Kendal, Devon and Kristi.

Ashlyn Clark faced the question no one wants to ask.

Why me?

Why am I going through this?

Then came fear. The fear of the unknown.

“I was in complete shock, it was very hard to talk about and even harder to tell my friends and family,” Clark said about being diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkins Lymphoma. “I was honestly terrified. I didn’t know what the treatments were going to be like.

“Cancer hasn’t been a factor in my family, so I had no idea what to expect.”

As quickly as the 17-year-old’s world was turned upside down, there was a calming feeling of involvement from a higher power.

“My strength in this whole process has come from my faith,” Ashlyn said. “I know I couldn’t have been able to do any of this without the power and love of God beside me.

“When I’m scared or I have any questions about this whole process, I pray. I have been calm, because I know God is going to protect me.”

It has been a whirlwind stretch for the Humboldt High School graduate, who was getting ready to begin her final season on the softball diamond.

Just after her graduation party on May 6, the tests began on May 7.

“We noticed some changes in her and she hadn’t been feeling well, so (Ashlyn’s father) Derrik and I wanted to get to the bottom of it,” said her mother Kristi. “A couple of early thoughts were Crohn’s Disease or maybe Lupus. It could have been a plethora of things.

“We did a colonoscopy and scope through the throat, and they came back normal. Dr. Adams was not content with the results, and did a CT scan on Tuesday at 10 a.m.”

The next step was waiting for the results. Later that afternoon, they first heard the news.

“We got the call at 2 p.m. They told us they would like for us to come in and receive the results (in person),” Kristi said. “Ashlyn looked at me and knew it wasn’t good. We said a prayer and went in.

“We got the call from Mayo at 4 p.m. and they wanted us there at 2 p.m. on Wednesday.”

Kristi has seen how resilient Ashlyn was before, but she would quickly find out her daughter’s true strength.

“I have only seen her cry a couple of times, but she keeps saying, ‘God has given me this for a reason.’ That has been her outlook from the start,” Kristi said. “For me, my job is to take care of my kids. Well, this is bigger than what I can take care of.

“She has been the stabilizing factor. When Kendal (Ashlyn’s younger sister) and I have cried, she just says, ‘you don’t have to cry about it.’ I’m amazed by her strength. The Holy Spirit has taken her under her wing, and she has been unbelievable.”

Ashlyn continues to lean on her faith and her family, including her parents, Kendal, and brother Devon.

“My mom has been my rock throughout this whole process. Since we found out we haven’t left each other’s side,” Ashlyn said. “I couldn’t imagine being a mother and having to see my kids go through something like this.

“It’s been hard on my whole family, because some of the questions we ask, there are no answers for. The support from my sister, brother and dad have been amazing as well. I couldn’t imagine seeing any of my family members losing their hair or having to go through chemotherapy, so their help and the way they’ve been strong for me — it is breathtaking. Our faith has been the biggest rock of all.”

The chemo is a rigid five cycles on a 21-day cycle. Kristi called it a “very intense process.”

Ashlyn is still learning how to cope both physically and mentally. For someone with a similar story, she has simple advice.

“Just breathe and trust in the Lord,” Ashlyn said. “Listen to your body … it will let you know when you’ve done too much. Letting my friends and family help has helped me the most.

“The chemo takes a toll on the body. It makes me exhausted. I can’t do as much as I could before, and the extra help never hurts.”

It’s been hard for Ashlyn to stay away from the diamond. With the treatment, she hasn’t been able to be around her teammates for every game.

But when she makes it, she has played.

“She is very determined. She played in her 11th game (of the year) last week,” Kristi said. “I’m trying to be mom and not momma bear, but the oncologist did say to try and live your normal lifestyle. She has had nine little battle wounds with things she went through before the chemo, but the surgeon said there are three things she needs to do: exercise, eat well, and laugh. She is doing it all. Ashlyn doesn’t do much at less than 100 percent.

“Coach (Doug) VanPelt sends her inspirational texts every day, and they always end with, ‘Be great, Ash.'”

The support system surrounding Ashlyn has been limitless, as players and programs across Iowa have rallied to her side.

“My two best friends, Michelle Slater and Cassie Harklau, were there when we got the initial diagnosis,” Kristi said. The support … we couldn’t handle this without it. As a mother, you become focused and feel guilty because you have two other children, so any help you get frees up time to do other things.

“Jocy (Timmerman) working her magic and Andi and Dan Adams in Fort Dodge. Webster City was doing some things, and Ogden, too. We are finding so many people, both who we know and don’t know, reaching out. People who have gone through the cancer battle have helped us with things that we don’t even know we need.”

The Ogden softball team held a “Pink Out” against Panorama earlier this week and raised over $2,5000 for Ashlyn. Hampton-Dumont and Marshalltown players wore t-shirts with Ashlyn’s No. 26 before games at Rogers Park earlier this month.

Ashlyn’s love for God, her family, her team and her hometown is evident, but she has one more dream ahead.

“(If we’re playing in Fort Dodge at the state tournament), I will for sure be running out to right field at Rogers Park,” Ashlyn said. “It was amazing (to be able to play earlier this year), because I wasn’t sure when we found out if that was going to happen ever again.

“When we would go up for treatments, I would pray at night in the hospital room. I just wanted to come back and play.”