This was really tested four years ago when the offer came from Campbell head softball coach Drew Peterson for Wheatley to have to leave her home of Mardela Springs, Maryland for the opportunity to play college softball at the Division I level.

Hilary’s brother, David, was battling Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus.  Hilary was doing her best on the softball field, as student body president, a senior in high school, and a sister of a sick brother to prepare herself for the next step in her life.

“We had two children with very different needs, and it was our responsibility to try and meet both of their needs.  We also kept Hilary informed about things that were happening with David,” said Phil Wheatley, Hilary’s father.  “I know she was very concerned and tried very hard to stay focused on school and sports.  Dale (Hilary’s mother) or I were always in attendance at Hilary's school activities during this period of time.  We only missed one game.”

That game - April 15, 2005 – was when David was being transported by ambulance back to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, a nearly two hour drive from their home.  Hilary also happened to hit a home run on that day.

When the call came from Coach Peterson, the young lady with all kinds of potential on and off the field had the biggest decision of her life to make.  Should she stay with her family or pursue the opportunity to live a dream?

It was really a no-brainer for the Wheatley family – Hilary should carry on with her life as planned and would go and play college softball at Campbell University.

“We were so excited for Hilary when Coach Peterson contacted her with the news that he wanted her to be a Camel,” said Dale Wheatley. “It just never occurred to us that she would sign her Official National Letter of Intent in the Neurological Critical Care Unit at Johns Hopkins Hospital.”

After the excitement of the day that Hilary signed to play with the Camels, it was back to reality for the Wheatley family as they still had their son battling for his life.  There were complications and it was determined that David, out of necessity, would be transported to the Kennedy Krieger Institute for further treatment and examination.

At the same time as David continued to battle for his life at the Kennedy Krieger Institute the time for Hilary to pack up what she needed and make the trek to Buies Creek for her freshman year of college had arrived.  It was one of the hardest, yet most exciting things that she had ever done.  She had to leave her family to go and live a dream that she’d had since she was a little girl.

On August 21 2005, Phil and Dale Wheatley returned directly to Baltimore after moving Hilary into her dorm just a day earlier. Nine days later, August 30^th, the Wheatley family received the uplifting news that David would be coming home.

On October 1^st of that same fall, Hilary was playing in her first fall games as a Division I softball player – and her supportive family wouldn’t dare think about missing this special time together.  So Phil, Dale, and David Wheatley got in their family car and drove down to Elon University to watch Hilary play for the first time in college.

This would be a common occurrence over the course of the next four years.

If you ever attended a softball game during the course of Hilary Wheatley’s four-year playing career at Campbell University, you knew when the Wheatley family was in attendance.  Right beside the Camels’ dugout would stand a white picnic tent to provide shade when it was sunny and a dry place when the rains came.  It became sort of a meeting place for all the families of the girls – and even their college friends.

Hilary and her family stayed close throughout her four years in the orange and black, but never were they as close, literally, as they were during her breakout senior campaign.

She had exactly 100 career at bats and was a .180 hitter with 10 total RBIs during those first three years.  After three years of being used as a pinch runner or defensive replacement during late innings, because of her cannon for a right arm and ability to put the ball on a spot, an opportunity presented itself prior to her senior campaign.

The Camels were coming off an impressive 42-25 campaign that included an Atlantic Sun Championship and trip to the NCAA Regionals, where the team knocked out top 15 nationally ranked North Carolina.  The expectations for the 2009 season were none too modest until the injury bug bit leaving the team with two starters out and a potential opportunity for the always present and always hard working Wheatley.

Wheatley finally had a break and a chance to step up and stand out by being an every day starter for a championship caliber softball team.  And she did just that. 

She worked hard throughout the fall and prepared herself for the spring season.  As one of three seniors she was one of the vocal team leader, both on and off the field.  She also remained active as a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes leadership team and continued to juggle school and softball for her shot at a magical season to remember. 

The career .180 hitter teed off during her senior year, playing right field on a platoon basis while the lineup shuffled itself out in the early going.  There was one constant through all of the early going- Hilary Wheatley making plays and hitting the ball consistently. 

There was a constant for her, as well, through everything and that was the white tent with her family under it throughout her senior campaign.  “When we're together, Hilary makes me work harder to get better,” explained her brother David, “and when we're apart I work harder so I'll be stronger the next time I see her.”

There were a lot of times for Hilary to push him to get better and for her to see his progress weekly through the season.  The Wheatley clan, who had been at many games over the first three years even when Hilary was used sparingly, made the trip from Maryland to nearly every game of her senior season games all over the southwestern United States. Near and far they arrived to cheer on their daughter and the rest of her Campbell teammates.

She ended up being the starter in right field for 42 of CU’s 54 games, while also playing in five others as pinch hitter or defensive replacement.  She hit .337 with three home runs – three more than her career total coming into the season – and drove in 23 runs.  She had the go-ahead grand slam in the opening round of the Atlantic Sun Tournament, propelling the 2009 regular season champions to a second consecutive Atlantic Sun Tournament Championship and consecutive trips to the NCAA Regional in Chapel Hill.

At the end of it all, Wheatley had racked up awards including being named Atlantic Sun Second Team All-Conference and being selected to the A-Sun’s All-Tournament Team but more important than her individual accolades or the marks set by the team was that she had given herself, her family, and a community of softball fans a lifetime of memories.

When asked what his favorite moment from Hilary’s career was, David wasted no time in saying, “being in Jacksonville, Florida and seeing Hilary hit a home run [for the first time in college].”

For David, there may be no more hugs from A.J. - Wheatley’s teammate and fellow senior Ashley Jones - or seeing his “Love Bug” – Hilary’s roommate and teammate Karlie Love - but he and his family have inspired everyone who has been around the Campbell Softball Program for the past four years and left a permanent impression with their strength, courage, and faith through the most trying of times.