The562’s baseball coverage in 2025 is sponsored by the Millikan, Long Beach Poly, and Lakewood baseball boosters.
The562’s coverage of Lakewood Athletics is sponsored by J.P. Crawford, Class of 2013.
They didn’t know what was wrong, but Malakai Kemp knew something was very wrong.
Kemp, a sophomore baseball player at Lakewood, was losing energy and gaining pain all over his body earlier this year. He lost 20 pounds in three weeks at the end of January, and spent the majority of February in an out of doctor’s appointments while they searched for the cause.
“It was hard to explain to people the feeling because no one thought it would be what it was,” Kemp said. “It was in my bones. In my entire body. Just pain. I wanted to give people answers but I couldn’t. It took so long.”
At first Kemp and his parents Anna and Brent were told it might be mono or even panic attacks. He was treated for panic attacks for three weeks but nothing improved. Kemp started having trouble walking because of the pain.
“He was walking around like an old man but still trying to go to school and practice,” Anna said. “When he took himself out of practice and missed a few games (because of the pain) that’s when I knew he was really sick because he would never miss a game.”
More doctor’s visits in February included a blood test that showed an abnormal level of A1C and Anna was told that it was Type 1 Diabetes. Again he was treated, and again nothing changed. However, a trip to an oncologist finally gave the Kemp’s an answer.
“The doctor sat us down and said, ‘Your son has leukemia’ which was the worst day of my life,” Anna said. “This hit us like a freight train.”
“Obviously I don’t want cancer, but It was really nice to figure out what was wrong because I know there was something really wrong… It was just hard to believe it would be that,” Kemp said.
Kemp immediately started chemotherapy treatments and spent two more weeks in the hospital while they managed the pain and helped him gain back the lost weight.
“That’s when his baseball community just rallied around him,” Anna said. “I don’t even know how to describe how amazing they’ve been.”
Kemp grew up in Lakewood and, “He has been a baseball player since he could walk,” according to Anna. “He’s always been a picture perfect kid, super healthy with a mop of crazy blonde hair. He is also a golfer, can play the guitar beautifully and has always been kind.”
That inherent kindness was repaid when the Lakewood baseball players and coaches stepped up to support the Kemp family in their time of need. Most of the players even shaved their heads so Kemp wouldn’t be the only Lancer without hair because of his chemotherapy treatments.
“At first we were all sad for him and just hoping for the best,” Lakewood pitcher Hunter Gershen said. “So we did what we could. We’re dedicating this season to Malakai, we’re playing for him. We’re trying to play with a lot of energy.”
Gershen and his teammates showed up at Memorial Hospital to wave at Kemp through his room window, and lately they’ve been sending him food deliveries while he regains his strength.
“I love them a lot, it’s been so helpful,” Kemp said of his teammates.
“His coaches just kept saying, ‘Just get better,’” Anna said. “They just kept encouraging him like, ‘We want to see you playing ball with your kids some day, don’t worry about missing practices.’ And the other parents haven’t forgotten me and Brent. They helped us get Malakai a nice bed for when we got home after they made sure we had gift baskets and pajamas for the hospital stay. We felt so seen, lifted up and cared for. It’s just such a special team, the boys and the parents, We’re pretty lucky in spite of all this.”
“This team has had so much adversity, and they keep battling through it,” Lakewood coach Spud O’Neil said. “This is part of life. I’m really proud of the way they’ve handled it.”
Kemp is now at home where he is continuing treatments and keeping up with his studies thanks to a Long Beach Unified School District provided tutor. Despite all of the hurdles between now and then the end of his high school career, Kemp knows the goal he is now working for.
“I’m going to get back on the field my senior year.”
