Hill's charity hits $1M in donations

CINCINNATI -- A cancer charity backed by Ohio college basketball player Lauren Hill has used a final push to reach her goal of $1 million in donations by the end of the year.

Hill got national attention when she played in a Division III basketball game with Mount St. Joseph on Nov. 2 despite suffering from an inoperable brain tumor diagnosed a year ago. She made layups for the first and last baskets of the game.

Hill is a 19-year-old freshman. She has since November helped raise more than $775,000 for cancer research and treatment through a charity called The Cure Starts Now.

"It is so incredibly rare to have such a selfless young lady who has engaged a nation to work together to reach such a vital goal as funding research for the home-run cure to all cancers. Lauren has done it with poise and resolve," said Brooke Desserich, the charity's founder and executive director.

The charity, which said a telethon helped Hill reach her goal, took to Twitter to hail the $1 million mark and thank donors Tuesday:

The Associated Press contributed to this report.