Alex Palmer is an 18-year-old cheerleader at Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, known for her smarts, bubbly personality and energetic support for her teams.
But now, she’s the one receiving a ton of support as she faces a cancer journey and a tough battle ahead of her.
The Cuyahoga Falls teen, who plans to attend Ohio State University in the fall, was stunned by the diagnosis. Still, she remains grateful to her community and her classmates, who have rallied in several ways to support her during a difficult time.
She’s also maintaining a very positive attitude and is prepared to fight the cancer.
“The support is almost like motivation, like everybody just keeps pushing me,” she said. “I want everyone to know that I’m confident that I will beat this.”
During the boys’ varsity basketball game on Tuesday between SVSM and Walsh Jesuit, fans and students on both sides wore pink—Alex’s favorite color—in honor of her. The SVSM team won the game.
Friday at school was also declared a “pink day,” with students and staff having the option to donate $2 towards a growing fund to help Alex and her family.