Ariel Johnson was supposed to be packing for the Club 7s National Championship next weekend, having helped NOVA to a Mid-Atlantic Conference (MAC) #2 seed. But the past two weeks have been spent in the hospital, as Johnson was recently diagnosed with brain cancer. 

After the MAC Championship on July 18, Johnson went to the hospital with what staff thought was a heat-related issue. But results showed that the 25-year-old has B-cell Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, which caused a tumor in her brain. A lengthy, expensive treatment awaits, and NOVA teammates have set up a donation page here to help with medical costs. Johnson is currently undergoing treatment and will personally update her donation page today.

Johnson started playing rugby at DI varsity West Chester University in Pennsylvania. While with the Golden Rams, she was named to the Women's Collegiate All Americans and competed in the 2013 tour of France. In that same year, she began her career with Atlantis, traveling to several tournaments from Tobago 7s to LVI 7s. Upon graduation, she joined premier DI club NOVA in the Washington, D.C. area.

Stay tuned as more information is made public, or check the donation page for regular updates.

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