In February 2018, I was privileged and humbled with the opportunity to be a THON dancer. From that Friday afternoon when I heard the words, “stand up!,” my life changed. There was no pain, no negative thoughts or feelings for those 46 hours; there were nothing but smiles and laughs coming from kids, students, and parents. I did everything I could to make sure that I was going to make the most out of those 46 hours and I did! My all-time favorite memory from THON 2018, among many others, yet this one stands out, is when a boy around the age of 6 came up to me with two water guns and handed me one and immediately started a water battle. I put him on my shoulders and ran around for 4 hours squirting every person we walked by! I never once heard him complain of his illness or pain in his body, all I heard were laughs and “run faster I need to squirt people.” It is not until something like that happens in your life that your eyes are opened to see all that THON does and how much it truly means to these families.
My family, at the end of July, lost my cousin Victoria to cancer. To be able to fight and stand in her honor meant the world to her and brought a sense of reality to my family that no one fights alone and we are all in this together. She showed me what it is like to be a true warrior and fight like a champion, kicking cancer in the butt every step of the way. She was a beautiful, loving, caring, smart soul that was taken from us way too soon! We dance now for a cure so one day we can dance in celebration! I THON for the fighters, the survivors, and the departed! There is no other way I would have wished to spend my time that weekend in February! As always, FTK!!
-Autumn Mozick
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