When 17-year-old Carson Barron of Tamaqua was faced with a terrifying health crisis, he, too, found a rainbow. It was an inspiring sight in cardinal and gold, the colors of the University of Southern California.

Last October, Barron was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a cancer in a bone in his lower leg.

Doctors told him there was a chance he could lose his leg. Fortunately, treatment was successful and the cancer went into remission.

Through his yearlong fight, he found a sparring partner who kept his hope and his spirit alive. That person was Kenechi Udeze, the defensive line coach for the USC football team and a former defensive end for the Minnesota Vikings. Udeze’s pro football career was cut short by acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a type of blood cancer.

Carson knew about Udeze’s battle with cancer, so on Nov. 17, 2017, his father reached out to the coach.

Udeze responded.

Udeze communicated with Barron weekly, with words of encouragement and praise.

He told Carson, “I better hear from you every week, or next time I see you I’ll give you a karate kick.”

The teen said he had great support from his family, friends and the entire Tamaqua community. He said he was grateful for the inspiration that Udeze provided.

“Coach Udeze told me what was going to happen and what to expect,” Carson said. “It was great to know someone who went through it was there to guide me. There were days he pulled me up when I was physically and mentally hurting.”

The game

Carson and his father are lifelong USC fans and have been to numerous games on the East Coast. Both Carson and his brother were named after USC football players.

When the Blue Ridge Chapter of Dream Come True offered him a dream, he knew immediately what he wanted: a trip to see his favorite team play football.

His dream came true on Oct. 27, when he got to see the Trojans play against Arizona State in the Los Angeles Colosseum.

Frank Stanek, spokesman for Blue Ridge Chapter of Dream Come True, said Carson chose his father, his friend Drew Kokinda of Nesquehoning, and Drew’s father Art. Drew and Art often travel to USC games on the East Coast with Carson and his father.

At the USC game, Carson and his group attended a practice session of the team, met the players, and had great seats. Udeze, upon seeing Carson on the sideline, hurried over to greet him.

The Los Angeles Rams pro football team was playing a game the following day in the Colosseum, so Udeze got tickets to the game for them.

The trip to California

Gail Maholick, a member of Dream Come True board, learned of Carson’s situation and put in a request for the dream.

Stanek coordinated the trip, which included airfare, accommodations, car rental, luggage and spending money. Dream Come True also purchased four tickets to the Lakers basketball game for $600 for Barron and his three travel companions.

Stanek said the whole trip was put together in about a month.

“USC did a lot,” Stanek said. “Coach Udeze hooked me up with everything at USC. He also hooked us up with Ram tickets.”

They met retired Lakers great Magic Johnson and Lynn Swann, a former star of USC and the Pittsburgh Steelers, now the Trojans’ athletic director. Rams quarterback Jared Goff signed a helmet for Carson.

Carson said he was in awe in California.

“There were a lot of sights that you won’t see in Tamaqua or Pennsylvania,” he said.

The highlight?

“Just meeting the coach (Udeze). I didn’t think he would notice my face on the practice field. He looked over, saw me and almost tackled me.”

Carson was asked to give a pep talk to the defensive players, so he told them, “Come on guys. Let’s get the win.”

The USC coaches drove them around in a golf cart and all the players signed a football for Carson.

They were on the field for pregame events and were in the tunnel when the team entered the field. They had front-row seats for the game.

At USC, they got pictures of all the team members. Carson and Drew posed with the USC cheerleaders for a photo posted on the team’s website.

Asked what his favorite part of the trip was, Carson said, “It’s hard to pick. Just meeting all the players and being in the California weather.”

A tough diagnosis

Carson played knee-hi baseball and football and hoped to continue playing baseball in high school.

He developed pain in his knee and was advised that it was just “growing pains.”

The pain persisted, and on Halloween of 2017, he received the diagnosis.

Carson’s parents are Chad Barron and Katie Orlick, both of Tamaqua. Carson was named after Carson Palmer, a Heisman Trophy winner for USC and a retired professional football player. Brother Daylon attends Marywood University. Other family members are his stepfather, Chris Orlick; a sister, Brianna Boyle and brother Colton Orlick, age 5. Carson began treatment at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital on Nov. 6, 2017.

He got the all-clear news about four months ago.

“All the scans are clean,” he said.

He hasn’t ruled out someday playing sports again.

“I think about that a lot,” he said. “My parents don’t want me to, but we’ll see.”

Besides treatment at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, Carson also went to Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

Although Carson didn’t lose his leg, he did have a metal rod inserted in it.

To help him regain his strength, he has turned to weightlifting. During treatment he was down to 120 pounds. He now weighs 160.

Chad Barron said, “Between my family and his mom’s family, both families were there for him.”

“Thank God the treatment plan was able to shrink the tumor enough with surgery to save his leg.”

“It’s the worst thing you can hear,” he said of the cancer diagnosis. “We were in the hospital 70 nights total. I’m not ashamed to admit it, I feared for my son. His mother and her family have been very supportive. His support system is unreal.”

Moving forward, Carson has two goals. One is to go into business and marketing. The other is to be a football team’s defensive coordinator.

USC wide receiver Tyler Vaughn gave Carson a jersey. He wrote a message on it to Carson. It says: “Keep yr (sic) head up Champ!!”