Written by Ashley Oades
Kansas State University Wildcats are no stranger to fighting for victory.
Whether it’s on the football field, in academic tests or finding a job after college, students are taught to persevere and fight to get to their goal.
For senior, Alexa Faber, fighting is second nature.
At the age of 4, Faber undertook a fight unlike any other. Faber was diagnosed with Leukemia, which is defined as a disease where the bone marrow and other blood-forming organs produce increased numbers of immature or abnormal leukocytes. This in turn leads to the suppression of normal blood cells causing the patient to fall ill.
Faber began treatment at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City and fought for her life in a battle against her own body.
After many years of fighting, Faber won her battle against Leukemia.
“After fighting myself, I watched friends and loved ones battle with cancer. It was extremely difficult,” said Faber. “Not long after, I was introduced to Relay for Life.”
Relay for Life is a community based fundraising event that is put on by the American Cancer Society. Every year, the American Cancer Society helps to put on more than five thousand events in over twenty countries. These events are mainly held in either local communities or on campus at a university.
“I remember the first Relay event that I participated in,” said Faber. “I was very young and still in elementary school. I attended just as a survivor.”
During a Relay for Life event, survivors are deemed as anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer whether they have won their fight or not. At many Relay events, the first lap of the walk is dedicated to the survivors in order to identify who they are and acknowledge their battle. Following this, there is a luminaria ceremony where people celebrate survivors and remember those who did not win in their fight against cancer. At the end of the event, there is a closing ceremony that encourages people to take action and spread awareness or cancer research, treatments and prevention.
After participating in Relay as a survivor, Faber decided in high school to participate as a team captain and then joined the Relay for Life Committee her freshman year at Kansas State University.
Since joining the committee her freshman year, Faber has stayed on the committee and helped put on many successful Relay for Life events for the Manhattan community.
“What really surprised me about working with Relay as someone who is
putting together the event instead of just participating, is the crazy amounts of money and time that people dedicate to the fight against cancer,” said Faber. “I am always in awe to learn about someone’s connection to cancer and how it has personally touched them and how they have joined Relay to fight back.”
Even though Faber’s fight against cancer was long over, a new fight arose in getting students to become involved in the campus-wide fight against cancer.
“From working on committee during my years of college, I have been challenged in many ways,” said Faber. “I’ve encountered many obstacles as well as successes while planning Relay here at Kansas State University. Since we are on a college campus, I think the hardest thing is have students plan ahead during first semester for something that isn’t going to happen until second semester in April. It can be very hard to get people amped up and continue to encourage our team captains and participants to stay involved.”
Even though Faber runs into some difficulties while putting together Relay for Life, her love for what she is doing does not go unnoticed.
“She is just incredibly passionate,” said friend Maddie Abbs. “She has a way of making you passionate about the fight against breast cancer without being in your face about it. Just by being around her and hearing her story, you want to make a difference.”
Besides just being passionate about Relay, Faber has also been known to want spend her time serving others any way that she can.
“Alexa has always exhibited a willingness to serve,” said senior, Allie Hennes. “Whether that may be in Relay for Life or through any other organization, she always has been committed to being a part of something bigger than herself.”
Faber is currently working on getting more people on board with the idea of being involved in something bigger than themselves.
“I wish we had more participation as a campus,” said Faber. “We do have our reoccurring teams that come back and participate each year and we love seeing that. We are a pretty over-programed campus at times and I think students can feel overwhelmed with the time commitment. At the end of the day, I am just hoping that people continue to hear about it and get involved and that we continue to grow in participation each year.”
Although Faber is a part of what makes Kansas State’s Relay run, she does not take all the credit for it.
“I have met such wonderful people on this committee,” Faber said. “The committees have been absolute great the past few years and I can’t say enough wonderful things about out advisor Carolyn Zeller. She works for the American Cancer Society and I can safely say that many Relays would not ever happen without her help. She’s dedicated so much of her self to the cause. She is inspirational.”
Even with all of Faber’s work, the committee needs more Wildcats who want to exceed the call of duty and join the fight against cancer.
“If you’re even remotely thinking about joining Relay or helping with the committee, just do it,” said Faber. “Working in all aspects of Relay has changed me for the better in so many ways. Passion for Relay in contagious and I promise it is worth your time to see the impact you can make on other people’s lives.”
Faber is looking forward to Relay for Life 2017 here at Kansas State University and urges students to be on the look out for when the official date is released.
Through fighting Leukemia and beating cancer, Faber is a true example of what it means to be a true fighter and continues now at Kansas State University to redefine what it means to be fighting ever fighting for a Wildcat victory.