Alyssa Messier we will miss you
Mike Richdale
Published Thursday, March 30, 2000, in the San Jose Mercury News
Alyssa Messier, 19, ace softball pitcher
S.J. athlete battled epilepsy to play game
BY DENNIS KNIGHT
Mercury News Staff Writer
As an ace softball pitcher, Alyssa Messier was a tough competitor. She
had an array of pitches that could dazzle opposing batters when she
played for Presentation High School, West Valley College and various
club teams.
What most of her opponents didn't know was how much courage it took Miss
Messier to step out onto the field and play.
Miss Messier had dealt with severe epileptic seizures since she was 4
years old. Even then, the epilepsy didn't stop her. At age 5, she
started a lifelong love affair with softball, never allowing her
condition to keep her off the field.
When she was playing and felt a seizure coming on, Miss Messier would
signal her father, Tom, by patting the top of her cap. He would go onto
the field and calm his daughter, actually ``talking her out'' of having
a seizure at times, said her mother, Cathy Messier.
Miss Messier's 15-year battle with epilepsy ended early Saturday morning
when she suffered a seizure and suffocated in her bed. She was 19 years
old.
``She would have seizures every night,'' Cathy Messier said, ``but she
always had the best disposition.
``She wanted to play at Santa Clara and did well at West Valley last
semester in order to get there. She never let anyone know how hard it
was for her. I know she has moved on to a better place.''
Her teammates at West Valley retired her No. 17 Tuesday. Her name and
number will be added to the Vikings' scoreboard, and the team will wear
arm bands in her honor for the rest of the year.
From third through eighth grade, Miss Messier attended St. Christopher
School. She had problems there with seizures, often dropping out of her
chair and hurting herself, Cathy Messier said. In the summer after
seventh grade, she had epilepsy surgery at Stanford University Hospital.
Miss Messier went through three phases of treatment and surgery to
locate the part of her brain that caused the seizures. Twice she ended
up in intensive care and nearly died from non-stop seizures, her mother
said.
The process took almost four months, but she was ready to leave the
hospital a week earlier than expected.
``She got out of bed, threw on a pair of overalls and was ready to go,''
Cathy Messier said. ``She was great for six months, then she had another
seizure.''
While in the eighth grade, Miss Messier would sometimes run to the
bathroom before having a spell to hide it from her classmates. But her
determination to live a normal life outweighed the self-consciousness
she felt at that age, and she enrolled at Presentation High School in
San Jose.
At Presentation, Miss Messier became the only freshman to make the
varsity softball squad. She was named most valuable pitcher in the
Charlie Miguel tournament and the Mission College Invitational. A
four-year letter winner, Miss Messier was named to the all-league team
after her senior season of 1999 and received the Presentation Coaches
Award.
``She had an incredible amount of will power; she was the hardest worker
of any player I ever had at the high school or college level,'' said
former Presentation Coach Duffy D'Angelo, who knew Miss Messier for 11
years. ``The most amazing thing was that she never looked at her
condition as a negative. It was just part of life and something she
dealt with. She never ever used it as an excuse.''
Miss Messier played on club teams each summer, traveling to tournaments
with the San Jose Strikkers, the West Valley All-Stars, the Campbell
Diamonds and the San Jose Lady Sharks.
After enrolling at West Valley College this fall, Miss Messier carried a
3.7 grade-point average, completing 22 units her first semester.
She enrolled in 20 units for the spring semester and had a pending
application to transfer to Santa Clara University.
Last week, Miss Messier played in eight games for West Valley College,
pitching in six of them.
She compiled a 3-1 record and led her team to a first-place finish in
its bracket at a Fresno tournament.
She was one of the leading hitters for the Vikings with an average
around .400.
``She was the most positive player I've ever had,'' said Les Hearn, who
has coached West Valley softball for 28 years. ``Despite her illness she
had no problem being on the team. She was always so happy, always
smiling -- she was just a great young lady.''
Born: Nov. 21, 1980, in San Jose.
Died: March 25, 2000, in San Jose.
Survived by: Mother and father, Cathy and Tom Messier of San Jose;
sister, Yvette Messier of Belmont.
Services: Funeral Mass: 7 p.m. today at St. Christopher Catholic
Church, corner of Booksin and Curtner avenues. Graveside services at 10
a.m. Friday at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, 22555 Cristo Rey Drive, Los
Altos.
Memorial: The family asks that donations be made to the West Valley
women's softball team, C/O Les Hearn, 14000 Fruitvale Ave., Saratoga
95070-5698 or to the Epilepsy Foundation of Northern California, 1624
Franklin St., Suite 900, Oakland 94612.
mike
Mike Richdale
lu...@my-deja.com
Mike Richdale <Rich...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
>
>
> Published Thursday, March 30, 2000, in the San Jose Mercury News
>
> Alyssa Messier, 19, ace softball pitcher
> S.J. athlete battled epilepsy to play game
> BY DENNIS KNIGHT
> Mercury News Staff Writer
>
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
lu...@my-deja.com
>
> Alyssa Messier, 19, ace softball pitcher
> S.J. athlete battled epilepsy to play game
> BY DENNIS KNIGHT
> Mercury News Staff Writer
>
Scorkep
SNDVLFN
dedicated softball players, I am deeply moved. Gale Fossatti
SNDVLFN
greatest admiration knowing how much she loved the game, and the size of her
heart. My coach says. To play the game is good. To win the game is great.
But to love the game is the best. She posesses that quality. I did not know
her, but I can assure you she is in a much better place. God Bless her, and
all my love to the family.
Courtney Fossatti
LyttleJenn
SB Bandits
bounce back from set backs and to have the courage to compete as she did is a
model that I think all of us would love to have our teams follow. The West
Valley College softball team will miss her contibutions this season and the
sport will miss her contibutions and courage in the future.
Our prayers are with Cathy, Tom and Yvette.
Kyle Brumbaugh
Head Softball Coach
Menlo College, Atherton, CA
SoftballDad
her and her family.
"SNDVLFN" <snd...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20000331002329...@ng-fd1.aol.com...
lu...@my-deja.com
>
> Alyssa Messier, 19, ace softball pitcher
> S.J. athlete battled epilepsy to play game
> BY DENNIS KNIGHT
> Mercury News Staff Writer
>
DD BERTOLA
YOUR LOSS. WHAT A COURAGEOUS, HEROIC & DEDICATED YOUNG LADY. YOU CAN TELL SHE
HAD SUCH A GREAT LOVE FOR THE SPORT. I TO DID NOT KNOW HER, BUT I'M SURE SHE
WILL BE GREATLY MISSED.
SINCERELY,
DAVID&DENA&JILL BERTOLA
Tom Kindler
I didn't have to know her to tell that she was a fierce competitor and great
player from the story of her life. Next time you think you're struggling
think of this young lady's battle and it will give you the proper
perspective. God bless her.