Small frame silhouetted against the towering Harley Davidson wall, the bald boy stood before do-rags, finally picking out one with flames.
Now, he could ditch the baseball cap he wore to protect his head.
This do-rag had attitude. Just like him.
Kade Wehrs, 9 years old, is a cancer survivor. He was born with cancer and has lived in its shadow his whole life.
Kade, son of Brian and Denee Wehrs, a Doane education instructor, was born with stage four Nureoblastoma, an infant/toddler cancer and was in remission for five and a half years. He was then diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma, which affects the soft tissue and bone. As a result, doctors removed two ribs and lung tissue from Kade.
He’s endured chemotherapy. A lot of chemotherapy.
He will speak Friday night to help kick off Doane’s Relay for Life and share his experiences with surviving cancer.
“Things like Relay, for me, are our hope,” Denee Wehrs said. “Our son is medicated out on chemotherapy for his lifetime. At the end of his treatment he can’t have any more.”
The human body can only sustain so much chemotherapy. Kade hit the saturation point.
Kade survived the Nueroblastoma because of work done through a treatment protocol research group in California.
“His oncologist here didn’t have a clue because (Kade) was so young,” Denee Wehrs said. “We were grateful that research was happening.”
Research paid for by fundraising was able to help Kade, and it was this reason that so many students come out every year to support the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life at Doane.
The goal of Relay is for the money raised to help with detection, prevention and care, sophomore Sadie Martin said.
“The money is to help cancer treatments,” Kade said. “To raise money to find new ways to cure cancer.”
This year has brought challenges to Doane’s Relay for Life, both monetarily and with participation.
“When economic times are tough people are thinking more about themselves,” senior Kari Shanahan said. “That makes sense, but when people are losing jobs and medical insurance, people with cancer need help even more.”
That was a reason why the Wehrs family supports Doane’s Relay.
“We didn’t just want to do a fundraiser for (Kade),” Denee Wehrs said. “Relay allows families like ours to make sure money for cancer research can benefit a large number of people.”
To encourage members of the community to give generously, the Relay for Life committee adopted the Nebraska Wesleyan rivalry as there own.
“We’ve always trumped Wesleyan,” said senior Crystal Bartles, the logistics chair. “With the economy today it may be more neck and neck.”
Doane had raised $25,000 as of ‘Bank Night,’ last week, which is almost halfway to the goal of $60,000.
“Last year, we raised $20,000, just the night of relay,” Shanahan said. “So we’re really pushing Friday at the event and letting people see the numbers and compare that to the goal.”
Kade will be at Relay with his family as the speaker during the opening ceremonies.
“Kade is excited, he knows this is part of this is what he’s meant to do,” Denee Wehrs said.
Kade says he is looking forward to walking to help people in need.
“I like to do the bounce house, too, and really like to go through the maze,” Kade said.
This year’s theme, “Cancer: We’re Not Going to Take It” reflects the attitude of Kade’s do-rag and the 20 year history of Relay for Life, which began in 1985. The theme is also reflected in the myriad activities that will be going on all night.
“There will be a talent show, pitch tournament, Miss Relay and a frozen T-shirt contest,” Shanahan said.
There is pressure to keep up with past years’ success. When Shanahan went to Relay’s national conference in September and was able to meet with different participating schools.
“People kept asking, ‘How’d you do it?’ because we have less than 1000 students and beat much larger schools,” Shanahan said. “Our goal that year was $45,000 and we raised $60,000.”
A total of 46 teams had signed up for Relay as of Thursday. Even though so many choices exist for students, not everyone can be on a Relay team because of the time commitment.
We know that people need the money they have, but there is such a benefit to contributing what you can, even if it is time, to Relay, sophomore Lori Lei Thunker said.
“We’ve been champions of our division for five years,” Thunker said. “It’s great seeing the whole community come together for a great cause.”
That is why junior Kacy Armstrong is on a team.
“I’ve had family members struggle with cancer, some have died,” Armstrong said. “I guess it’s a natural compulsion to want to help find a cure.”
Research that has been funded through events like Relay for Life has improved care and treatment for cancer patients and their families.
“I’ve seen an improvement in treatment,” Denee Wehrs said.
For example, when administering chemotherapy care, patients are given the anti-nausea medicine before and after.
“For as sick as Kade was the second time, he wasn’t vomiting,” Denee Wehrs said.
Kade realizes that it may not help him directly, but it may help kids he knows from clinic, Denee Wehrs said.
“I’m really proud of the Relay we have at Doane,” Denee Wehrs said. “It will impact so many lives and I, my family, we feel supported by everyone who can come out and do this.”
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