Community remembers Austin ‘Flash’ Schroeder, who inspired with his battle against aggressive cancer

IOWA CITY - Somehow, he was everywhere.

On baseball diamonds. In schools. At churches. And then, in the sky.

Shortly after Austin 'Flash” Schroeder, 15, died Tuesday from an aggressive form of cancer, someone came up to his dad - still sitting at his son's bedside - and whispered in his ear:

'Do you know what today is? It's National Superhero Day.”

It was one of several portentous signs to coincide with the fateful day - including that each digit of the date, April 28, 2015, adds up to be the number of Flash's baseball uniform, No. 22.

'God knew what day he wanted to take our boy,” said Craig Schroeder, his dad.

Flash, nicknamed for his speed on the baseball field, was diagnosed with stage 3 T-lymphoblastic lymphoma on April 14, 2014. And every day after, Schroeder said, he fought to 'win the day.”

That was a maxim Schroder taught his children years ago - a maxim thousands across the Corridor, state and nation adopted after learning about Flash. By wearing T-shirts, bracelets or necklaces, attending fundraisers, or sharing words of encouragement on social media, tens of thousands of people joined Flash in his fight against cancer.

'Flash has taught me the true meaning of what ‘win the day' is - he's taught it to so many people,” Schroeder said. 'Bad things happen to us every day. You can climb down in the hole, and it gets deeper and darker, and the only way that changes is if we decide to change it.”

Life in unfair, he said. And Flash's cancer was unfair.

'But if we are worried about all the unfairness and all the sadness and being angry, we are missing out on the most important thing,” Schroeder said. 'That's him being with us every day.”

More than five weeks ago, Flash was sent home from the hospital with hospice care. Doctors expected he would die within days. But he didn't.

His symptoms actually improved. He went to a Hawkeye basketball game with Coach Fran McCaffrey's family and sat behind the bench. He saw friends. He had fun.

The West High student also made it to an awards ceremony at the school, where he was honored with a varsity letter and a 'pursuing victory” award.

Doctors expressed awe at his resolve and tried last-ditch efforts to give more time. But last week, his pain intensified.

'One of the greatest gifts in life is having a child,” Schroeder said. 'And as bad as it is to have him taken from you, I cannot tell you how wonderful it is to know how many people have loved my son. He has touched so many hearts.”

Over the last year, T-shirts with the 'Fight with Flash” logo became common on children and adults across the Iowa City area. Decals on computers and refrigerators pepper homes. Hundreds of Facebook profiles don Flash's signature lightning bolt.

Last fall, players with the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers put on Flash shirts for a photo before a game, Schroeder said. And, after he died, families who followed his fight on Facebook turned on their porch lights to shine love 'up to the heavens for Flash to see.”

More than 3,000 people 'joined” the Facebook event. Even law enforcement agencies lined up their squad cars and flipped on their lights.

'Johnson County Sheriff's Office has all of our lights on for you bud,” according to a Facebook post and picture. 'Win the day.”

Over the holidays, while Flash was enduring one of his many hospital stays, friends of the family put up an illuminated lightning bolt on his Coralville house to welcome him home.

'We plan on leaving that up and going all the time,” Schroeder said. 'His lightning bolt will be that light we look up to - to pull us out of those holes every day.”

In Flash's final days, his dad said, he was in and out of consciousness. He was hospitalized Thursday and was alert enough only to say 'yes” and 'no” and, 'I love you,” Schroeder said. Saturday was remarkable. Flash was alert most of the day and even had the strength to get out of bed and hug his mom, Stacy Schroeder.

His condition worsened Sunday, and his family crawled into bed with him. Flash again defied odds by making it through Monday, and he opened his eyes one more time Tuesday and looked at his family before he died.

'That was my wife's wish - to see his eyes one more time,” Schroeder said.

Josh Schamberger, president of the Iowa City/Coralville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau and friend of the Schroeders, said Flash's impact is deep and wide.

'There is not a person in this town who doesn't know Flash and his family,” Schamberger said. 'I dropped my boys off at Wickham (Elementary) this morning, and it was awesome to see all the different kids wearing their ‘Fight with Flash' T-shirts and necklaces.”

Flash's life - and now death - has become an inspiration and teaching point for families.

'He really embodied everything you want in a superhero,” Schamberger said. 'He never gave up. He always had a smile on his face. And he was as optimistic as the day is long.”