He was diagnosed with cancer at 15. Now he’s graduating from Penn State’s medical school.
Updated May 14, 2021;
For months he had been complaining of pain, but this was more ominous.
The lump turned out to be bone cancer, and Hayes, then a student at Boiling Springs High School, was thrust into the emotional and physical anguish of fighting cancer.
The dreaded illness put him on a life-changing path.
In the course of his fight with Ewing’s Sarcoma - the surgery to remove three ribs and the long course of chemotherapy - Hayes immersed himself in learning about the drugs that were prescribed to treat the cancer and the pain. He read up on the chemical agents and the body’s reaction to them.
THON during coronavirus: Students are dancing at home but are still filled with excitement
Updated Feb 20, 2021;
Posted Feb 20, 2021
For the first time, THON this year is playing out not in the Bryce Jordan Center but in homes and apartments, as the coronavirus forces students to social distance for the annual fundraiser.
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Few things are as emblematic of Nittany Lion Nation as the annual weekend-long dance marathon known as THON.
The annual 46-hour student dance has helped raise tens of millions of dollars towards childhood cancer research, and for student participants, the marathon is a defining moment of student life at Penn State University.
Penn State Thon spirit continues virtually for Mechanicsburg family
Updated Feb 18, 2021;
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When Amy Shepps first participated in Thon, she was a student at Penn State.
It was always an exciting time, packing into the Bryce Jordan Center and dancing the night – or rather, the weekend – away. And all for a good cause.
A few years ago, Shepps made her return to Thon. This time, as a parent.
“When our child became sick, and they started introducing us as a Thon family, it was a little surreal,” she said.
In March 2015, her daughter, Clara, was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Clara is now 9 years old and is a happy third grader at Shaull Elementary School, where she is doing fantastic, Shepps said.
At 6 p.m. on Friday, 592 dancers will stand for the first-ever virtual THON. While THON 2021 will look a little different this year, its dancers are showing their passion for the cause as much or more than ever before.
Now in its 44th year of supporting the Four Diamonds at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital, THON has raised more than $180 million for pediatric cancer patients and their families while also providing them with emotional support and raising awareness.
Earlier this week, Onward State
asked dancers to share why they are dancing in THON. Here are just a few of the responses received.
Earlier this week, we
asked dancers to share why they are dancing in THON. Here are just a few of the responses we received.
Kristen Benson, Association Of Preprofessional Pediatric Specialists (APPS)
Why are you dancing in THON?
When I was younger, I lost my close friend to pediatric cancer. She was an amazing person, and she has been my core inspiration for my involvement in THON. When I came to Penn State as a freshman, I joined an organization that has 3 amazing THON children. Each of those kids is so strong, and will always be one of the best parts of my THON involvement.