By: Kyle Brown

For Paoli senior Donnie Kee, Feb. 13^th started out like every other day. On his way to get clothes for that evening’s basketball practice, He came upon a scene that would change his life forever.

When he arrived at his home, it was surrounded by police cars and ambulances.

There, he found his mother laying on a stretcher, unconscious. EMS transported her to the hospital, Donnie in tow. Once they arrived there, all he could do was wait.

A little over an hour had passed and Donnie was sitting in the hospital’s quiet room. That is when his step-mother came in and gave him the news.

She was gone; taken too soon by acute pneumonia.

While Donnie was left to mourn with his family, his basketball family learned of the news.

Head coach Joe Hinton had the task of relaying the sobering information to the rest of the Paoli Rams basketball team at practice.

They also found out later that Kee wouldn’t be able to play Senior Night...his night.

Then and there the Rams took the challenge to “win it for Donnie.” And that’s what they did, defeating Perry Central by a bucket.

Donnie, knowing his mom would want it this way, returned to the floor the very next game against North Harrison.

With his friends, family, teammates, and mom watching, Kee found himself with the ball and a chance to win the game. And win it, he did.

As the shot went in, Kee raced to the other end of the floor, pointing and blowing kisses to the sky.

Kee said, “I just wanted to run away and be with my mom.”

He says that she was there and helped that shot go in.

Since the passing of Donnie’s mom, the Rams haven’t lost. They have won six straight games, including the school’s 23^rd Sectional Championship and have earned the right to play in the Regional.

Donnie knows that his mom will be there with him, hopefully as he cuts down the net.