Four Diamond future

Fraternity member fights leukemia with help from fund, family, friends

It was the low point and the high point of David Lys' life.

On Oct. 7, 1997, while most students were preparing for the Ohio State football game, Lys was sitting on an examination table, waiting for his doctor's diagnosis -- a diagnosis that would change his life forever.

"It was a sunny day outside but it was a very dismal day inside the doctor's office," Lys said.

Five months later, Lys is looking at life, and two pairs of diamonds.

"Life. It means life," Lys said of the 1998 Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, which benefits the Four Diamonds Fund. "The four diamonds, which are courage, honesty, wisdom and strength, means a lot to me right now."

The Four Diamonds Fund, which helps children with cancer, is helping fund Lys' cancer treatment. Because Ewing's sarcoma is pediatric, he is eligible for funding; he just happened to develop it while he was in his 20s.

- David Lys

The Four Diamonds Fund is a small miracle, Lys said.

"It brings the dance marathon that much closer," Lys said. "Life could be so horrible right now but it's the people around me, all around me, that's keeping the big smile on my face."

The members of Lys' fraternity, Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity, 328 E. Fairmount Ave., are extremely supportive of him, he said.

"The day I told my brothers, I saw six grown men crying over me," Lys said. "Four months later, these same guys I made cry are the ones making me smile and laugh."

With a smile on his face, Lys said he remembers when his hair first started falling out.

"One of my brothers shaved my hair and I was walking around the house for a while with a mohawk," Lys said, laughing.

Not all his memories are happy ones, though.

"There's this one time I broke down," Lys said. "I was in the shower and my hair was falling out in clumps. One of my brothers came in and comforted me. The support is amazing."

Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity member Andrew Wickersham said Lys is his hero.

"The last six months have been so traumatic for him," said Wickersham (senior-history). "The way he's handled the situation and the energy he shows is inspiring for me."

When Lys is feeling down, he doesn't dwell on the fact that he has cancer, Wickersham said.

"It's already on his mind," Wickersham said. "I just ask him if he wants to go out to the movies or go out for a few drinks."

Joyce Lys, said she is extremely grateful for the support Alpha Sigma Phi has shown for her son.

"They are as sweet as pie," Joyce Lys said.

Lys said his parents' reaction to the knowledge of his disease is still a very vivid memory.

"When I found out, it was the first time I saw my father break down and cry," Lys said. "My mother was crying. We were all bawling."

His father, Kim, said he kept asking himself why this happened to his only son.

"I said to myself, 'Why did it happen to him? Why didn't it happen to me?' " Kim Lys said.

Joyce Lys said she was scared for her son's life.

"At first, it was very scary and lonely," Joyce Lys said. "David's courage inspired us. He's been courageous and optimistic."

Lys said his reaction was one of shock.

"I was like, 'Why now? Life's so good right now. I just turned 21. I just came back from the summer. I just got my groove back academically. Why now? Why me?' " Lys recalled.

He just sat on the examination table and looked down at his hands, Lys said.

"Once you have a percentage put on your life, it puts a whole different perspective on things," Lys said. "There's a chance that you're not going to be able to live your whole life 100 percent every day. It's very numbing."

However, Lys said he never gave up hope, even after the moment he first heard the devastating news.

"From the moment I left that room, that's when I began to get better," Lys said.

When he returned home from Hershey Medical Center, Lys said he called his closest friends.

"When I told them, they started crying," Lys said. "These are grown men. The first words out of their mouth were, 'When can I come down to see you? What can I do to help?' "

Three of his closest friends came to see him as soon as they found out about his situation, Lys said.

"We went to the Ohio State game together," Lys said. "You know how that game turned out. That weekend was the kick-off party. It was a special occasion for me because they put in their efforts and showed their caring in that way."

With the help of family and friends, Lys said he won't stop fighting for his life.

"Everyone of us has a cancer deep inside. Mine just showed up early," Lys said. "I'm not going to hibernate. I'm not going to be a hermit."