Chris Nurse knows first hand the feeling of melancholia following the death of a loved one.
The Fort Lauderdale Strikers soccer star lost his mother to breast cancer and her death sent him into a tailspin of despair.
“It was so hard,” he said.
But his mother’s death was the impetus for him to reach his dream of becoming a professional soccer player and the face of his organization to raise awareness of a disease that has notched a grim record in South Florida as the No. 2 leading cause of death among women.
And his efforts scored him one of the highest achievements for a sports player.
Nurse, who is also a coach for the Miami Lakes United Soccer Club, recently was named the 2014 North American Soccer League Humanitarian of the Year, an honor awarded to an athlete who has demonstrated excellence in sports and beyond the playing field.
The finalists for the award are nominated by their respective teams, then the winner is voted on by the media, players, and club representatives.
According to the NASL, the veteran midfielder was chosen because he dedicated much of his life off the field by raising money and awareness for breast cancer.
“It was a turning point in my life,” said Nurse, who was born in England. “My mom would always tell people that I was going to be a professional soccer player when I was growing up, and when she passed away, I felt like it was my obligation to see it through and make it happen.”
Nurse, 30, said he has raised more than $10,000 for Susan G. Komen, and this year, he stepped up as the face of a strong partnership between the Strikers and Susan G. Komen in Miami and Fort Lauderdale.
He said it was the biggest score of his career.
“Being able to link Susan G. Komen with our club is huge for the community,” he said. “It’s important for people to know that our organization has players going through the same issues, and I think it creates a common bond between the players and the fans. Hopefully one day we can find a cure.”
During Nurse's time with the Puerto Rico Islanders, he spearheaded a similar fund-raiser for Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation in memory of his mother and raised in excess of $6,000.
During Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, Nurse took the lead on an initiative that included Strikers players wearing pink shirts during pregame warm-ups.
After each game, the players then sold the shirts and the proceeds went to helping Juanita Chavez, the mother of Strikers’ defender Justin Chavez, who was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year. Nurse has served as an important mentor for Chavez, having experienced the same ordeal 10 years ago with his own mother.