Symons returns
Steve Symons, the NDSU student who in April 2005 was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer, is back on campus this semester, complete with a new set of challenges and a new outlook on life.
Because of the cancer, Symons’ left leg had to be amputated, and he is currently working toward being able to walk with a C-leg, a computer-controlled prosthetic leg.
Returning to school at NDSU has been a challenge for Symons, mostly for physical reasons.
“ It’s been pretty rough coming to campus. I can’t walk very far because I get so tired; the crutches take so much out of me,” he said.
Academically, the only setback for Symons is finishing school after missing two full semesters and part of this semester. He hopes to graduate in December 2007.
“ It just basically delayed everything a year and a half,” he said.
When he started college as a mass communications major, he wasn’t sure what career he would pursue.
Now, after spending most of the past year in a hospital, his career choice may be completely unrelated to mass communications.
“ The experience steered me toward maybe wanting to work in a hospital,” he said. “Something about it kind of became home, because I was there so much.”
Symons said his stay in the hospital was not pleasant, mainly because of the effects of chemotherapy: throwing up, fatigue and insomnia.
Through all the horrors of cancer treatment, one person gave him hope and made him want to continue.
“ The main thing was having my fiancée Libby there — she was there every day and every night,” he said.
Besides the support of his fiancée, Symons said he had support from family and friends and students at NDSU.
“ Just knowing people were willing to care, that support was enough to get me through.”
Members of his fraternity Alpha Tau Omega started a Web site, http://www.gosteve.org, to raise money for Symons’ cancer treatments. They sold hats and T-shirts and light blue bracelets for the cause.
He said that knowing he had the support of a lot of people on campus made the experience a little easier.
When the treatments were finished and he was able to go home, he said he was a changed person.
“ You just look at things with a totally different perspective,” he said.
He realized that college students are capable of caring and making a difference, though the stereotype says, “kids don’t care,” he said.
His main challenge has been physically coming to campus and making the trips between buildings.
In three weeks he’ll be able to walk on his prosthetic leg but the physical therapy during that time will be tough, he said.
After he can walk on his leg normally, he said his main goal is to get married and start a career and family.