Andy Macloed (right) admires his newly shaved head with Joseph Rockland. The senior finance and marketing majors helped raised money to support their fellow fraternity member Kyle Greaver, who is undergoing treatment for bone cancer.
Kyle Greaver hopes the members of his fraternity aren’t headed toward “a major identity crisis” with their new lack of hair.
Members of this university’s Phi Gamma Delta chapter lined up on the front lawn of the Alpha Omicron Pi sorority Friday for “Going Bald for Bucks” to have their heads shaved. They came up with the idea two weeks ago to support Greaver, who was diagnosed with cancer in December.
“As a guy who’s had a lot of hair for most of his life, I was very uneasy about losing all of it,” Greaver said.
Doctors diagnosed Greaver with metastatic Ewing’s sarcoma, a cancerous bone tumor that mainly affects children and young adults, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. He has completed 10 rounds of radiation therapy and seven rounds of chemotherapy at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. He has another seven to 10 rounds of chemotherapy left but hopes he’ll be finished by September or October.
In the meantime, the fraternity and the sorority have been helping Greaver cover his medical costs. They raised nearly $1,000 from “Going Bald for Bucks” — in which each brother set a donation mark, then shaved his head when the sum was raised.
Greaver has gotten used to his “new sleek look” since he was diagnosed.
“When we found out it was cancer, I was in complete shock,” said Kathleen Clark, Greaver’s girlfriend and a member of Alpha Omicron Pi.
Greaver had experienced lower back pain, burning sensations and difficulty sitting for long periods of time during the fall semester but never suspected it was cancer.
“I thought my pain was due to a herniated disc from moving heavy furniture,” he said.
The fraternity and the sorority also hosted a run Saturday called Miles for Kyle, in which groups of fraternity members alternated running 32 miles from their chapter house to Baltimore. Two buses filled with fraternity members and University Police followed the groups of runners throughout the run, which took about four hours. The sorority’s members painted a banner with the logo “Miles 4 Kyle” that hung from one of the buses.
“We agreed to do this because it’s a great cause,” said University Police Sgt. Keith Galster. “We commend their fraternalism to look out for another brother and to raise money for his treatment.”
Although the original plan was for the brothers to run to The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Greaver said he felt well enough to leave the hospital and met the 200 runners at Forno, a Baltimore restaurant.
The fraternity plans to raise about $35,000 in total for Greaver, said Brian Corcoran, the fraternity’s former president and senior finance major who helped organize the events.
“We want to be with Kyle through the battle,” said Phi Delta Gamma chapter president Gregory Birman, a sophomore economics and finance major. “His persistence and determination alone are what make this event meaningful.”
The fraternity also set up a GoFundMe page for Greaver that has raised more than $20,000.
“[Phi Gamma Delta’s] efforts to help me through this struggle have been nothing short of jaw-dropping,” Greaver said. “What has been most surprising so far in dealing with cancer is the staggering amount of generous and caring people.”
Clark now spends her weekends at the hospital or at Greaver’s house, and she said his optimistic attitude and constant smile keep everyone else going.
“Ask anyone and they will tell you that Kyle is one of the most genuine and positive people you will ever meet,” she said. “When you’re around him, it’s hard to be anything but happy. All of this has not changed since his diagnosis.”
Despite his diagnosis, Greaver tries to keep his health in perspective, and he still lives the life of a typical college student when he can — indulging in the occasional drink when he’s feeling well.
“For others currently facing serious illness, there are so many methods of both conventional and alternative healing out there today,” he said. “So even if your odds seem slim, try your hardest to maintain a perspective that keeps you feeling good.”
After he finishes treatment, Greaver plans to travel the world and then complete his final 10 credits.
“My long-term plans are mostly still a mystery to me,” he said. “But each day I’m getting closer to realizing what I really want and need.”
