Columbus, Ohio — While many people were asleep, Ohio State University students pulled an all-nighter Friday, Nov. 4 during the annual BuckeyeThon, which raises money to fight childhood cancer.
What You Need To Know
- Ohio State hosts a BuckeyeThon every year, which raises money for Nationwide Children Hospital. All proceeds go toward childhood cancer patients and other pediatric-related illnesses
- Hundreds of students participated in the dance marathon, including Bailey Ramsey
- Ramsey is a cancer survivor and shares some inspiration to others still in the fight
Students danced, tested their trivia skills, competed in corn hole and enjoyed many other activities at different hours of the night, and by 4 a.m., the DJ set the stage for a dance marathon.
Hundreds of OSU students took the dance floor, including Bailey Ramsey.
“All of our feet hurt for sure. I can tell you that, but we’re good. We’re here for the kids. It’s easy,” said Ramsey.
Ramsey is unlike most students in the crowd.
She faced tough news in Feb. 2020. When she was 19 years old, she was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia five days before Ohio State’s BuckeyeThon that year.
Ramsey would have been dancing with everyone else but had to watch on the sidelines from her hospital bed.
“It was really tough,” Ramsey said.
But things took a turn for the better just a few months later.
“Finally, in August, I was cancer-free, which was awesome.” Ramsey said, “[It was] the best feeling ever. Got to ring the bell like all the little kids do. It was really cool, a fun experience.”
That was two years ago, and now Ramsey’s the happiest she’s been, raising money for the Nationwide Children’s Hospital on the dance floor with her friends. Proceeds go toward helping pediatric cancer patients.
Now as a survivor, Ramsey wants to give other cancer fighters hope.
“It is really hard, but just be positive, which, again, is really hard to stay when you’re in the moment, but you’ll get there in the end,” she said. “You’re brave. You’re strong. You can do it.”
