ouisville junior Jessica Wiser was happy to see the Relay for Life’s move to indoors didn’t deter participants from devoting an evening to the progression of cancer research.
Wiser cheered with everyone else while the few cancer survivors in attendance walked the relay’s customary first lap in Diddle Arena Friday night.
This lap, symbolizing the fight in cancer victims everywhere, was especially emotional for her. One of the walkers was Helen Wiser, her mom.
On the morning of Jan. 9, 1995, Wiser had to ride to school with one of her neighbors because her dad’s health was giving way to brain cancer and her mom – her usual ride to school – wanted to be with him.
“I knew that day when I left for school that it was the last time I was ever going to see my dad,” Wiser said.
She was called out of her sixth grade class that afternoon to begin the Jewish tradition of sitting Shiva, a seven-day period of mourning.
“As a little kid, it’s a lot to take in,” Wiser said. “I just kind of sat in the corner in a blur.”
Five weeks later, her mom was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Wiser said facing the loss of her dad and the uncertainty of her mom’s health at such an early age forced her to mature faster than most of her friends and has made her a stronger person today.
“It’s been 10 years since my dad has passed away and it’s still a hard thing for me to wrap my head around,” Wiser said.
Ever since she was little, she has enjoyed volunteering in every way she can, and when she came to Western she joined Omega Phi Alpha, a national service sorority.
“It’s one of the most rewarding things I’ve been involved in in college besides being chairman of Relay for Life this year,” she said about the sorority. She said she wants to work for the American Cancer Society one day.
Helen Wiser was helped up to the stage where she was awarded a survivor’s medal and relayers from a wide variety of organizations applauded when she put it around her neck.
With the event just underway, participants bowed their heads as Central Baptist Church youth minister John Beach said a prayer and a few words of inspiration.
“It is my hope that through events like this and people like you, we can cure cancer ultimately,” Beach said to an audience preparing to walk laps.
After Beach was diagnosed with cancer last December his youth ministry decided to put a team together for the relay.
“We had to make two teams because the kids were so interested,” he said. “Hopefully next year we’ll have three.”
He said they’re always looking for projects to do and ways to get involved in the community.
“With it being especially geared towards student populous, we jumped on the opportunity,” Beach said.
Some First Baptist relayers weren’t new to the event.
It was Bowling Green freshman Jonathan Poole’s fourth relay, but this time – with his minister’s recent diagnosis – the event hit closer to home.
“Seeing all the people around me who are affected by [cancer] and those raising money for the cause is amazing,” Poole said.
Reach Scott Hamilton at features@wkuherald.com.
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