Fighting back: Relay for Life
Features, This Week's Edition Tuesday, March 30th, 2010About 100 students gathered at St. Thomas University on March 27th for the campus’ fourth annual Relay for Life.
Third year student Matt Sheriko organized the event, which is usually well-attended. But he didn’t do it on his own.
Students of St. Thomas University are led by cancer survivors at this Relay for Life. photo courtesy of Corinne Frost
“I had a core committee of I think about 12 of us” said Sheriko, “And then from there we had some more to help with registration, so probably a total of about 25 [people helping organize].”
Fourth year student Kayla Sullivan helped organize the event.
“Nine years ago, my aunt who I’m named after, passed away from cancer. And a lot of family members have been touched by cancer, so I do it for them,” explained Sullivan.
In the four years that she has been volunteering for the St. Thomas University Relay for Life, Sullivan has flipped burgers for participants, played an active role on the activities committee, as well as taken part on the luminaries committee the past two years.
However, she didn’t just volunteer this year.
“This year, I’ve decided to go on a team with the house that I live in, which is Holy Cross,” she explained.
And while many students take part in the Relay for Life in honour of someone close to them who is either currently battling cancer, or has lost the battle, the event is even more meaningful for some, including third year student Jeremy Fowler.
In August of 2008, the day before his 19th birthday, Fowler was diagnosed with testicular cancer.
“I went to the hospital because I was experiencing some pain. And I went in and they took a look at me and they pretty much said ‘Yup, we don’t know what it is and the only way that we’re going to find out is if we take it out and look at it,’” explained Fowler, “They said they could put me on medication for a couple weeks, come back, if it got any better then it could’ve been an infection, or if not they were going to have to take it out.”
Jeremy Fowler (middle) is a 3rd year St. Thomas student and a cancer survivor. photo courtesy of Corinne Frost
But because school was weeks away, Fowler decided he wanted it out sooner rather than later.
“So they admitted me into the hospital overnight and as soon as the operating room opened up, they took me in, so about 11 o’clock that night they took me into the operating room,” said Fowler, “They went in, took out the testicle and found out that it was cancer.”
The next five months included four rounds of chemotherapy and another surgery for Fowler, who was then declared cancer-free in February 2009.
But Fowler didn’t just start taking part in the Relay for Life after his diagnosis.
“I’ve always had a special spot for the relay because my grandfather passed away from cancer when I was 14 and he was really close to me, and he was the first relative that I ever really lost,” explained Fowler, “So I started helping out [in high school], then when I came here I put in my own team my first year, and then second year was my first year as a survivor and I put in my own team. And ever since then I’ve been speaking at them.”
Fowler said he’s touched to see the support of the students when it comes to the Relay.
“It’s so amazing; it makes me tear up a little bit. Just to have all these people come for the cause, and everyone knows someone who’s been affected by cancer.”
This year’s Relay for Life raised roughly $4500.
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Posted by Corinne Frost
on Mar 30, 2010. Filed under Features, This Week's Edition.
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