Monday May 9, 2016
NorthernStar
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Student battles breast cancer
Senior diagnosed before graduation Julia Martinez Staff writer
DeKalb | Senior accountancy major Marlene Nevarez was diagnosed with stage four, metastatic breast cancer three months before her graduation. Marlene, 22, transferred to NIU from the College of DuPage on a transfer scholarship and was scheduled to graduate from NIU with a bachelor’s degree this spring. Her schoolwork has been put on hold due to the disease, which has spread to her liver and bones. “I just thought I was just going to the doctor for a stomach flu one day, and then they started taking all these tests,” Marlene said. “They were doing all these exams, and I had to get a mammogram, and I was just like ‘What is going on?’” Marlene was diagnosed on Feb. 29 and was immediately sent to Elmhurst Hospital, 155 E. Brush Hill Road in Elmhurst, to begin chemotherapy treatment.
Photo Courtesy Marlene Nevarez
Senior accountancy major Marlene Nevarez, was diagnosed with stage four, metastatic breast cancer three months before her graduation. Her brother, Abel Nevarez, started a GoFundMe to raise money to pay for Marlene Nevarez $250,000 in expenses.
Senior accountancy major
Donate As of May 8, Marlene Nevarez’s GoFundMe has raised $11,380 of her $250,000 goal. To donate, go to bit.ly/1ZucMnk.
Photo Courtesy Marlene Nevarez
Marlene Nevarez, 22, is pictured with her family. Marlene said she has a great support system as she battles stage four, metastatic breast cancer.
[playing] soccer, and now I can’t because physically I’m not strong enough,” Marlene said. “At first I had problems walking because of the antibiotics, and I also get full easily.” Her support system has helped during a time of high dependency on others.
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“I just thought I was just going to the doctor for a stomach flu one day, and then they started taking all these tests.”
Cancer is not new to Marlene’s family, as her aunt died after being diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. “At first I was just going to get four treatments, but the first treatment was really aggressive and it destroyed all my white blood cells,” Marlene said. “I got transferred from Elmhurst Hospital to [Loyola University Medical Center] because of a bad reaction from the antibiotics.” Marlene started two different chemotherapy treatments at Loyola University Medical Center but got another infection. Her next step is to get approval from her oncologist to start chemotherapy again. With her body not responding well to the chemotherapy treatment, Marlene said her lifestyle has changed. “I was working at Planet Fitness, attending school full-time and
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“My mom has been very supportive because she changes my wound bandages and has to help me shower at times,” Marlene said. “My brother Abel [Nevarez] comes to all my visits ,and he translates all the information from the doctors to my parents [who] can’t speak
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English fluently.” Marlene said her friend Arely Acuna, who is a cancer survivor, has been helping her through the process especially with the side effects like losing her hair, which is really emotional for Marlene. Abel has created a GoFundMe to raise $250,000 for expenses. As of May 8, the GoFundMe has raised $11,380 in 17 days. “School loans, car payments, medical and living expenses swiftly arise, and our family ask for your help ... . Words cannot describe how much we love Marlene,” Abel said on the GoFundMe page. “Her health and well-being means the world to us.”
DeKalb | The Student Association Senate was forced to collect nine letters of resignation in order to have a meeting Sunday. The Senate is responsible for the SA budget which currently is more than $6.5 million. This money is used to provide services including the Huskie Line, Campus Recreation, Students’ Legal Assistance, Off-Campus and Non-Traditional Student Services, Event Production Services and the Campus Activities Board for students. The Senate could not start with less than 19 members in attendance because quorum for the SA Senate consists of a majority of the total number of filled Senate seats. There are 40 seats in the Senate. To reach quorum, Senator Tristan Martin, Christine Wang, Senate Speaker-elect and SA Senate Speaker Dillon Domke made calls to senators not in attendance requesting letters of resignation. Nine senators were reached for resignation, including Timothy Brandner, former SA Senate sergeant-at-arms. “I don’t think anything of [Brandner resigning],” Domke said. “People wanted to be home with their mothers.” Domke said it was a service for senators to submit resignations so the meeting could begin. Only 20 senators were elected for the next session, and shortly after the elections, former Senator Bethany Vanover and Robert Kreml, former deputy Senate speaker, resigned leaving the Senate with 18 senators. The Senate was forced to amend their bylaws at an April 24 meeting, which allowed senators in the current session to approve of senators at large for next session. Without this legislation, the Senate would not have been able to meet next semester.
News Editor Alexander Chettiath contributed to this article.
Resignations Senators Timothy Brandner, Bethany Vanover, Brandon Phillips, Jordan Clayton-Taylor, Stephanie Norman, Anurag Singh, Devin Joseph, Corey Richier and Troy Cappi resigned Sunday.
Publication Notice
This is the last print issue of the Northern Star for the spring 2016 semester. The Star will resume publication June 20. Go to NorthernStar.info for online updates throughout the summer.