Ava Jones was 17 when her life changed in an instant. Just two days after committing to play Division I basketball, she and her family were hit by a car driven by someone under the influence. The crash killed her father and left Ava and her mother critically injured. After months of recovery, Ava faced another unimaginable challenge—a stage four Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis at 20 years old.
In this powerful conversation, Ava shares how she found resilience through grief, therapy, and community. She talks about learning to walk and talk again, processing loss after her father’s death, and what it means to truly begin again.
- The night that changed Ava’s life forever (10:00)
- Learning to live without basketball (20:00)
- How therapy helped her reconnect with her emotions (18:00)
- Facing stage four cancer and finding hope (28:00)
- Choosing to live fully after unimaginable loss (34:00)
Ava Jones is a 20-year-old student and former college basketball player who survived a devastating accident in 2022 that claimed her father’s life and left her and her mother critically injured. In 2025, she was diagnosed with stage four Hodgkin lymphoma and has since completed 12 rounds of chemotherapy. Ava now shares her story to help others find hope and strength through adversity.
Instagram: @avajones_35
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