Light the Night honors battles with Leukemia and Lymphoma

MT. PLEASANT — Thursday evening, a warm glow resonated from the Iowa Wesleyan campus in honor and memory of those touched by Leukemia and Lymphoma at a Light the Night event.

As attendees arrived at the IW Chapel, hosts invited them to select an appropriately colored glow stick.

“Each color meant something,” Theta Sigma Rho President Callyn Organ said. “Blue for survivors, pink and green for remembrance, and yellow and orange for support.”

Four speakers addressed the somber gathering.

Lane Levine, an IW professor who completed his last chemo treatment five weeks ago after a lymphoma diagnosis shared about his journey.

Kelsey Brown spoke on behalf of her childhood best friend’s fight against cancer, and Anne Kindhart spoke about her own experience as a childhood cancer survivor.

University Provost DeWayne Frazier said there wasn’t a dry eye in the chapel when he followed Brown to shared insight from his sister’s point of view as a pediatric nurse in oncology.

According to Frazier, “It was a chance to really share about the journey these children are going on and they need people to make them laugh and feel and make them comfortable.”

Guests were then invited to pop their glow sticks, two colors at a time.

“We started with support and then remembrance and had them hold their glow sticks up for everyone to see,” Organ said. “Then the survivors went to the middle and everyone stood around them.”

Following this symbol of support, the gathering embarked on a mindful walk around campus.

“When we walked it was pretty powerful,” Frazier said.

The path was lined with photos in support and memory of those effected by cancer.

One photo held a special place in the heart of event organizer Organ.

“My friend, Peyton was just diagnosed with Lymphoma last week and I have known her almost her whole life so it was super special to be able to have her picture at the event as well,” she said. “She is strong.”

“We prayed at the end for peace, comfort, and God’s strength over all these people,” Frazier said. “The young ladies running the event did a really good job and I am very proud.”

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com