Two in a Million: Webb Kosich on Aplastic Anemia, a Sister’s Bone Marrow, and Fighting His Way Back to D1 Soccer
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About This Episode
Imagine being a 19-year-old college freshman, playing in every game of your first Division 1 soccer season — and then, over a single winter break, watching your body start to fail. Unexplained bruises. Out of breath after a few steps. Sores that would not heal.
For Webb Kosich, that was the beginning of a months-long fight against aplastic anemia — a rare bone marrow failure disease that strikes roughly two people in a million each year. Webb takes Karin and Chris back through the whole journey: the terrifying weeks of waiting for a diagnosis, being helicoptered to Johns Hopkins, nine straight days of chemotherapy, and the bone marrow transplant from his sister — his “perfect match.”
He is honest about the darkest moments too: dropping out of school, quitting the sport that defined him, losing 40 pounds, and watching his own father cry for the first time. But this is ultimately a story about what carried him through — family, a tight group of friends, faith, and the stubborn goal he wrote down next to his hospital bed: get back on the field.
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About Webb Kosich
Webb Kosich is a Division I college soccer player who was diagnosed with aplastic anemia — a rare and life-threatening bone marrow failure disease — during his freshman year. After being helicoptered to Johns Hopkins and undergoing nine days of chemotherapy followed by a bone marrow transplant from his sister, Webb defied the odds and returned to D1 soccer. His story is one of resilience, faith, family, and the power of setting goals even in the darkest moments.
Follow Webb on Instagram: @webb.kosich11
Key Takeaways
Episode Chapters
- 00:00 — Welcome and introductions
- 01:46 — What soccer gave Webb beyond the game
- 03:55 — The first strange symptoms over winter break
- 05:43 — The fear of the unknown and the weeks of waiting
- 07:16 — What aplastic anemia actually is
- 08:47 — Receiving the news: leukemia or aplastic anemia
- 12:42 — The first time stepping back on the pitch
- 19:40 — How faith became part of the journey
- 21:34 — Suffering, compassion, and showing up for others
- 23:29 — Feeling alone even with a great support system
- 30:43 — A new chapter: transferring to GW for a final season
- 35:25 — What “invisible strength” means to Webb
- 36:50 — Advice for anyone in the thick of it right now
- 40:12 — Where to follow Webb + closing
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