Community rallies around St. Patrick head girls basketball coach after cancer diagnosis
South Mississippi is rallying around a St. Patrick Catholic High School coach after a recent pancreatic cancer diagnosis.
Dave Gaunce has coached football and basketball across the Gulf Coast for 38 years, including time spent at Ocean Springs and Gautier.
Gaunce, who celebrates his 40th wedding anniversary later this month, is also a father of two and a grandfather of one.
Coach’s cancer diagnosis came just one day before Thanksgiving.
To help with medical expenses, his daughters set up a GoFundMe page yesterday. In just one day, the campaign has raised more than $8,000 towards the $100,000 goal.
Gaunce’s daughter, Denae Gaunce, says she’s always known just how much her dad means to the community and his players, past and present, but this is more than she could have ever imagined. “It’s sort of shocking now since his diagnosis has been made public how many people have come out either through Facebook or text messages or in person just to let him know. A lot of them men that he was the prominent role model figure in their lives. He’s not a super emotionally outward guy necessarily and I’ve seen him brought to tears more than once.”
Coach Gaunce will coach one more game tonight at St. Patrick before he begins chemo in the morning.
Because the cancer was detected early, Denae says the prognosis is hopeful.
You can follow his story on the Coach’s Corner Facebook page or by visiting the GoFundMe by clicking here.