The most emotional hour of THON comes each year on Sunday afternoon, as the event begins to wind down and the final stretch approaches.
Family Hour, more so than anything else that happens over the course of THON’s 46 hours, encompasses what the event is all about.
THON’s motto is “For The Kids,” and it’s those kids who get the chance to be front and center for Family Hour, as THON takes time to celebrate children battling pediatric cancer and memorialize those that the cruel disease has taken.
Family Hour began shortly before 1 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, with each family in attendance having their name announced and walking across the stage, where they shook hands with Four Diamonds Fund founder Charles Millard, whose charity is the sole benefactor of THON. Millard’s son, Christopher, passed away from cancer in 1972, prompting Charles and Irma Millard to establish the fund.
‘That procession we just had is a sure sign that we are in need of a cure, which you are doing,’ Millard told the crowd. ‘Chris said, ‘If I die, I want to come back as a wizard and make people well,’ so we will do that and make his dream come true. Thank you.’
His succinct speech was followed by the annual ‘Where Are They Now’ video, which details success stories of THON children who survived pediatric cancer, such as Emily Whitehead, who was diagnosed with leukemia in 2010 and has been off treatment for three and a half years. Each story was accompanied by a loud cheer from the crowd.
The Dominique Bigler family took the stage after the video holding a photo of their daughter. She battled cancer for six years after a diagnosis at 13-years-old. Marsha Bigler, Dominique’s mother, read a letter that her daughter wrote before she passed away, focusing on the ‘good things’ rather than the hardships that came with cancer.
‘I can’t even explain in the words the love and commitment and friendship and hope that came from THON, The emotional support and friendship that they gave me is why I kept going,’ she wrote. ‘Without the newfound friends I gained from THON, I wouldn’t have had any reason to fight. I met several people that will forever be my best friends.’
Dominique wrote that THON gave her the will to keep pushing through the struggles that come with battling cancer.
‘Because I THON, I live. And because I live, I THON,’ she said.
Dominique went on to say that cancer was a blessing as it helped shape who she was, pushed her to go to college at Penn State, and determined her intended career path in biomedical research. She tragically passed away in 2014.
‘One thing that helps us now is knowing that 15,000 Penn State students won’t stop working every year until there is a cure,’ Marsha Bigler said.
Just after Fulton was diagnosed with leukemia, a doctor told the family about THON. Fulton’s mother said that getting involved with the organization was the best thing that happened to them.
‘Little did we know that even though our lives were changed with something so terrible, we were about to be blessed with incredible people,’ she said. ‘The support from THON, Four Diamonds, and the Penn State family has been a lighthouse in the middle of a storm.’
She said that Nick is an incredibly hard worker in school, and when asked why, he said: ‘Mom, I have to work hard so that I can go to Penn State.’
Ashley Kaufman took the stage next. Kaufman, who earlier performed an original song during the Variety Show, told her personal story of fighting cancer. She was diagnosed with leukemia at four years old, and is now a cancer-free 21-year-old.
‘I don’t understand why cancer had to affect me. There’s so many of us in this very room that have been affected,’ she said. ‘I didn’t think that one simple word or one diagnosis would affect me even after it disappeared out of my body. I never imagined that my life would be so greatly impacted, not only by cancer but by everyone here.’
It’s been 17 years since Kaufman was diagnosed with leukemia and admitted into Hershey Medical Center, and she said that THON helped her stay strong through her fight.
‘You’re providing hope to families. You’re providing that extra smile that brightens up every child’s face,’ she said.
Finally, the Ayden Gora family took the stage, telling another familiar story about a child receiving a leukemia diagnosis and being connected to the Four Diamonds Fund by a doctor.
‘If all goes well, he’ll be done with his treatment in June,’ Ayden’s mother said, adding that he’s been undergoing chemotherapy treatments for more than three years. The family’s first THON event was Family Carnival in 2014, and while they were overwhelmed by all the people, they immediately realized they had become a part of something special.
‘We knew right then that these people we just met would be by our side for our entire journey,’ Ayden’s mom said. ‘He got to meet his favorite friend, the Nittany Lion. When the Lion took Ayden’s little hand in his big paw and held him in his arms, it made us feel like everything was going to be okay.’
As his mother began crying while addressing the crowd, Ayden walked over and gave her a comforting hug. Little did Ayden know that a comforting hug of his own was coming, as the Nittany Lion stood at the back of the stage waiting to surprise him.
The annual ‘Celebration of Life’ video closed out Family Hour, with tears filling the Bryce Jordan Center as those who passed away from pediatric cancer were memorialized. The video opened with a quote from Stuart Scott, the sportscaster who died last year from cancer.
“When you die, it does not mean that you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and in the manner in which you live,’ Scott said.
THON 2016 will shortly come to a close at 4 p.m., when the dancers sit for the first time in 46 hours and the total amount of money raised in the last year will be revealed.
