Family Bonds - Cancer Breaks

Hi, my name is Michael Nawrocki, and not only do I represent my fraternity, Sigma Phi Epsilon, as a Big Man on Campus Contestant, but I also represent all who have battled breast cancer and other forms of cancer. As you will learn from reading further, your support means the world to me!

Cancer is an awful disease that plagues the lives of so many people and their families. My family and I are no strangers to watching our loved ones fight so hard against it. I am both proud and fortunate to say that my paternal grandma (pictured above) is a survivor of both Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and breast cancer, she is still going strong today at 84 years old. I am also proud and very fortunate that my dad has fought and beat cancer twice.

However, I know others aren't as lucky in their battle with breast cancer and other forms of cancer. Unfortunately, I know the pain of losing my paternal grandpa to stage IV pancreatic cancer, and how devastating it is to watch your loved one suffer from cancer. He was the biggest fighter I knew, having beat cancer two times before, only to be diagnosed a third time.

Not only do I fight for my dad, grandma, and grandpa, but I also fight for my late maternal grandmother, who was a survivor of both uterine and breast cancer. Her battles against cancer included a total hysterectomy and a mastectomy.

The friends and family members that I have watched battle cancer are the huge reasons why I fight for a cure. I will do everything in my power to raise as much money as I can for research at the Vera Bradley Foundation Center for Breast Cancer Research. Through my efforts, I hope that no one has to worry if they hear the fateful words, "It's cancer". Instead, I hope they have relief knowing we've found a cure, and that everything will be alright. This fight is personal to me in so many ways, and I hope you will join me in raising money to find a cure. Thank you for your generosity!

To learn more about the event, visit the Trine Big Man on Campus page.