As guest speakers inspired attendees to continue working to support St. Jude Children's Research Hospital at Up ‘til Dawn's discussion Tuesday night, a giant check sat at the front of the room announcing the group's first year earnings: $10,850.
After it's first year at DePauw, the group received well over its goal in donations, originally anticipating around $8,000. Up ‘til Dawn organized the discussion to announce the total amount they raised so far and to give attendees an opportunity to hear from a former radiologist at St. Jude as well as a mother who lost her daughter after seven years of treatment there.
Up ‘til Dawn co-presidents, sophomores Mark Fadel and Emily Jones, expressed their great enthusiasm at the group's success in its first year and hoped to use the discussion to garner further inspiration for years to come.
"It's incredible…when you have someone who's worked hands on with these children, and they can come and try to tell you about it," Jones said. "...It makes you realize that what you're doing is definitely worthwhile in helping out."
Dr. Kevin Rush, now director of radiology at Bloomington hospital, spoke about his previous experience as a radiologist at St. Jude. Rush specifically explained how donations benefit the hospital. He said that St. Jude accepts only children with catastrophic illnesses and does not charge patients. Instead, donations fuel research and treatment at the hospital allowing doctors to take better care of the children and to make great medical advances.
Rush noted that other hospitals first ask patients questions about insurance and how a patient intends to finance his or her treatment; but at St. Jude, doctors worry less about financing and, therefore, can take a different approach to their job.
"The beautiful thing about St. Jude is that we don't have to ask those questions [about financing], we get right to the ‘what's wrong,'" he said.
One patient of St. Jude was a girl named Kelsey. Her mother Susie Tatum, an American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities and St. Jude event marketing representative, spoke at the Up ‘til Dawn event. After losing her 21-year-old daughter to a seven-year battle with cancer, Tatum felt the need to take a stand.
"I am completely inspired to work at St. Jude and to raise money for kids fighting cancer because of Kelsey and because of our journey and because I don't want other kids and other families to have to go through this," she said.
Tatum shared her daughter's story and emphasized the wonderful experience her family had during their time at St. Jude. She said Kelsey loved St. Jude and the friends she made there so much that she would not trade her cancer experience for being healthy.
Many students who attended the discussion were moved by Rush and Tatum's stories. Sophomore Emily Eckert was particularly persuaded.
"It solidified my ideas to become a doctor because he was just so passionate and so caring and involved, and it made me want to be the same way," Eckert said.
Tatum worked closely with the executive board of Up ‘til Dawn and expressed her excitement at their success in their first year. Though it was difficult for her to see students around the same age her daughter was upon her death, Tatum said she enjoyed working with DePauw students and hopes to see more success in the future.
"I see what she could have done and could have been, but you know that being said I can't change that and all I can do is work to make it better for some other 21-year-old who's fighting leukemia or a brain tumor," she said.
After sharing Kelsey's story and congratulating the group on their first year of success, Tatum's eyes filled with tears as she took the giant check under her arm and walked out the door on her way to the bank.