Tuesday, April 04, 2006

Bald Brothers


Story image 1

Photo provided

Members of Sigma Phi Epsilon have shaved thier heads in support of a fraternity member undergoing chemotherapy for Hodgkins Lymphoma.


No, this is not a Fraternity hazing that went too far. The OU SigEps shaved their heads in support of a brother undergoing cancer treatment.
Though [Burke] Lewis faces his third of six chemotherapy treatments and radiation to fight Hodgkins Lymphoma, he insists the story isn’t about him.

It’s about his brothers.

“I think they’re the real story here,” said Lewis, University College freshman. “Cancer patients are a dime-a-dozen, but these guys have shown a love that is uncharacteristic of the frat life.”

Fifteen Sigma Phi Epsilon members shaved their heads on March 26 to support Lewis as he continues to lose his hair to chemotherapy. Six more members surrendered to the razor at chapter Sunday night, totaling 21 bald-headed brothers.

Lewis, who has had at least two friends with him at every chemotherapy treatment since he was diagnosed on Feb. 17, considers his brothers to be more than the typical fraternity.

“They have shown a genuine concern and love for me that I’ve never had from friends before,” Lewis said.
[...]
His father, Tim Lewis, said his son refuses to drop any classes or change his schedule because of his strenuous treatments.

“He’s the kind of guy that thinks he can tough through stuff,” Tim Lewis said. “But he’s got a great group of friends helping him through it.”

Tim Lewis, Sigma Phi Epsilon alumnus from OU, has served as the fraternity’s chapter adviser for the last 12 years. He said he is incredibly fortunate that his son has such a supportive group of Christian men who love and care for one another.

“One of the misconceptions about fraternity guys is that they just like to party,” Tim Lewis said. “The first week of school, Burke went to a Bible study with 34 guys on a Friday afternoon out of just his pledge class.”
[...]
Julie Lewis said she had a chance to thank the other mothers at Mom’s Weekend for letting their sons shave their heads. She said she still can’t believe the support these men have shown.

“You would expect a bunch of girls to start acting like mothers all of the sudden, but not from boys like this,” she said.

She said she was overwhelmed by the support members like Ted English, English sophomore, have shown her son.

English drove from OU to greet Lewis as he came out of recovery from his biopsy surgery at a hospital in Edmond. When the doctors recommended that Lewis not stay alone while on certain medications, English volunteered to sleep over in the residence halls for a couple nights.
Wow. Read the article to see brotherhood in action.
oudaily.com - Bald Brothers

Technorati tags: , , , ,
Powered By Blogger