Shawn Gerber watched from the sidelines as his daughter Marli joined the Victor Cheerleading squad Thursday night.
The 10-year-old was an honorary cheerleader in the Teddi Bowl at St. John Fisher College, which was raising money for Camp Good Days, a place for kids touched by cancer.
For Gerber, it was special just to see Marli out on the field.
“My daughter was diagnosed with a tumor at three-years-old. She had a tumor on her left kidney and her adrenal glands were taken out,” he explained.
Gerber said the news was devastating and eight months of chemotherapy followed, along with side effects.
“She had to wear glasses for about a year and her legs wouldn’t pick up, so she had to wear braces for two years after that.”
Gerber said a bright light during their stays in the hospital was learning about Camp Good Days.
Soon after learning about the camp, Marli was part of it.
“It helped to see that she had other friends out there and they went through it [too],” Gerber said.
Now Marli is in remission and said it’s important to keep giving back.
“I got to meet other kids that had the same illness as me. To be able to feel that way was pretty cool,” Marli said.
To find out how you can donate to Camp Good Days, click here.
