On April 9, UA sophomore Emily Dumas and her team will run a relay to raise funds and awareness for another UA student, Alexander Stanton, who suffers from rhabdomyosarcoma, the most common soft tissue cancer in children.
Alexander “Xander” Stanton was a UA chemical engineering major before his cancer forced him to leave campus in August just as he began his sophomore year here at the Capstone.
“I decided to host the relay team because I thought it would be a fun experience,” said Dumas, a sophomore majoring in secondary education social studies. “Also, it would remind my friends and family about Xander battling cancer and it would show him how many people truly support him in his fight against cancer.”
Dumas said that before his diagnosis on Aug. 25, Stanton was physically active, devoted to his studies as a chemical engineer, and a regular at the Student Recreation Center.
After his diagnosis, Stanton was forced to drop out of school and begin his 47 weeks of chemotherapy treatment, as well as several radiation treatments.
Dumas said her relay team has a goal to raise $1,000 or more for research for a cure, a number that was a only small portion of the monthly bills for approximately $40,000 that Stanton and his family face to fight the disease, she said
“My hope for the relay as a whole of course is to find a cure, not only for Xander but for anyone who has cancer,” Dumas said. “Cancer has touched me personally through my friends and family and I know it affects thousands of others every year.
“I hope one day no one has to battle cancer anymore and children and young adults like Xander wont have to pause in mid-life to have to fight the horrible disease,” she added.
Dumas encouraged students to get more involved not only in Stanton’s fight with cancer, but also in other volunteer projects to represent those who were not able to do so themselves.
“Students should use their health and their youth to promote research and help to find cures for all diseases because one day it could be their children and families or even themselves who are battling the disease,” Dumas said.
“I feel like UA doesn’t really see how many people our age are affected by cancer,” Dumas said. “Young adults like us seem to think it only affects the elderly or people who smoke. Unfortunately, the ‘God complex’ of our youth is completely wrong.”
Dumas also invited the student population to come support Stanton at the relay in his honor this Saturday. She added that if he felt up to it, and his chemotherapy schedule did not interfere, Stanton planned to run a survivor lap at the relay that afternoon.
