Light At The End Of the Tunnel
Cancer has touched Aleeza Michael's family in more ways than one. THON weekend serves as a way for her to stand strong to fight for a cure.
Michael's father passed away three years ago from leukemia, and her mother fought breast cancer for years. Michael stood this weekend for 46 hours at the Bryce Jordan Center as a representative for her special interest organization, FOTO. FOTO has two THON families, the Eslingers and the Knappers. Both children of the families fighting cancer currently, Logan and Megan, were able to attend THON this year to dance along side Michael.
Michael is the family relations chair for her organization because of her close relationship with cancer. Her ability to comfort families struggling through this battle comes naturally because of her experiences.
Michael has been involved with THON since her first year at Penn State. FOTO has served as her family away from home during the good times and the bad. Michael said that it would have been easy for her to be angry and bitter after he dad passed away, but instead she found THON and used it as a way to help others through the pain she suffered.
Cancer stripped Michael of her dad and she said she will dance every year until no one elses dad is taken.
"THON weekend gives me a voice against cancer," said Aleeza. "There is light at the end of the tunnel."
~ by Sara Selverian
