World Cancer Day

February 4^th marks World Cancer Day, and the Penn State THON™ community celebrates this day with the annual ‘Together, We Can…’ campaign. Individuals around the world band together in the fight against cancer, raising awareness for those impacted by a diagnosis.  

Grace Schneider was diagnosed with B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) at five years old on Friday, September 18^th, 2020. The Schneiders’ cancer journey began during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic while quarantine was still in full swing. Amid all the chaos and unknown of the lockdown and a new cancer diagnosis, Four Diamonds stepped in to alleviate some of the weight from the family’s shoulders. 

Throughout Grace’s treatment, they discovered Grace has a genetic abnormality known as iAMP21. This complication led to eleven months of front-line treatment. Grace’s mom, Angela, said, “It is a really hard thing when your child is going through a severe illness, and you still have to be a functional human being”.  

However, with the help of Four Diamonds and THON, some of the pressure was removed. “I still have another child to support, and I can’t just pay my mortgage because my child is sick. People don’t understand that life still has to go on, and Four Diamonds helps with that,” explained Angela. Through it all, friends and family of the Schneiders stepped in and helped too.  

Grace has been cancer-free since January 14^th, 2023! Since day one of Grace’s diagnosis, friends, family, Four Diamonds, and THON have gathered behind the Schneiders to create a beautiful village of support for the family.  

No one stands alone in their cancer journey. On February 4th, we honor those impacted by cancer and we come together to build an everlasting team of support. ‘Together, We Can…’, make a difference.