Successfully battling Ewing's sarcoma,
a determined Matt Lash collects funds
for cancer awareness and research.
SHELLI LIEBMAN DORFMAN
Staff Writer
Matt Lash finishes the cancer survivor's Victory Lap
at Relay for Life.
n the months since the Jewish News shared
the story of Matt Lash's rally of support
following his cancer diagnosis, ("Stand By
Me," Feb. 23, page 10), the 20-year-old
Michigan State University student has under-
gone an ordeal of treatments, surgery and trans-
fusions.
It also brought him a connection to the
American Cancer Society's third-annual Relay
for Life after Jaimi Tarnow, community develop-
ment director of the Great Lakes Division of the
ACS in Southfield, read the story. Matt took her
up on her suggestion that he participate in the
June 23-24 event at West Bloomfield High
School, held to raise both awareness of cancer
issues and funds to fight it.
"Matt was the last to finish the cancer sur-
vivors victory lap," says Roberta Lash of her son
whose left leg was amputated mid-calf on May
15.
Almost since the time of his December diag-
nosis of Ewing's sarcoma, he knew the surgery
would significantly improve his chances of a
complete recovery.
"He finished the last few steps without his
cane and people stood and applauded," Roberta
Lash says. "He was very determined to do the
walk. It's just part of how he continues to set
records for recovery," she says of Matt, who was
walking on crutches the very day of his amputa-
tion surgery.
His course of treatment includes continued
chemotherapy, every three weeks, until January,
despite a pathology report showing the area clear .
of cancer cells.
Team Chaverim
Named Team Chaverim (friends), a group of 60
Relay walkers and runners, sported T-shirts
imprinted with a Jewish News cover photo of
Matt and his friends, Jeremy Manson and
Jeremy Wolf, both of Farmington Hills. The two
shaved their heads in a show of solidarity when
side effects of chemotherapy treatments took
Matt's hair.
With donations still coming in, Team
Chavarim, has thus far collected $8,000 of the
Relay's total $145,000 in contributions.
"We were trying to match how much it would
cost for my prosthetic leg," Matt says. "We were
pretty good at it — an average leg costs $8,000
to $10,000."
Matt's team, who participated in - the event
attended by 1,000 individuals, gained contribu-
tions from some unexpected and unlikely
sources.
"Jeremy Manson who will not let his hair
grow until Matt can, figured out how much
money he saved not getting haircuts," says
Roberta Lash, who works in Chicago, but corn-
mutes to the family's Farmington Hills home
when Matt undergoes treatments. "Jeremy then
donated the amount to the American Cancer
Society in Matt's name.
"Strangers sent checks, including one who
gave the proceeds of her garage sale to the
IN
7/20
2001
41