Childhood Leukemia uses his feet to say thank you and help other children ...

HOne of our heroes Derek Bauer battled Childhood Leukemia as a child and won. Today he battles tirdness and fatigue to say thank you and offer help and hope to other children

Bauer, a 21-year-old survivor of childhood leukemia, and a student at Penn State, is helping to raise money in the fight against Childhood Leukemia at this weekend's two-day dance marathon at Penn State.

"It definitely would be cool if I was just a regular student, but it means a lot more that I have this history and really know what it is all about," said Bauer,  of Manheim Township, who is a fourth-year  architectural engineering student.

For 48 hours, beginning Friday evening, Bauer will join 700 students at The Bryce Jordan Center, where they will — at the minimum — stay awake and standing for two days.

The event is the Penn State Inter-fraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon — otherwise known as Thon .

It raises money for families dealing with cancer, through the Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Children's Hospital at Hershey Medical Center.

Nearly 20 years ago, the fund helped Bauer's family when he was diagnosed at two years old with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the most common type of leukemia in children.

"It was a tremendous help to us. I don't know how we ever would have paid those bills," said his mother, Carolyn.

She said Bauer went through roughly three years of treatment, emerging with a clean bill of health.

The family has remained involved with Thon for some 14 years, but Mrs. Bauer said the involvement is especially meaningful this year.

"It is so amazing now that Derek has the opportunity to go full circle," she said.

Thon is a student-run philanthropy that over the last 34 years has raised some $41 million for the Four Diamonds Fund. The event is especially popular with Greek societies on campus.

Bauer is participating as part of the Student Society of Architectural Engineers. Along with his dance partner, Lauren Wilke, of York, he has raised more than $1,600.

With Thon now imminent, dancers have shifted their efforts from raising money to preparing their bodies for extreme sleep deprivation.

"It takes probably more mental strength rather than physical strength —the mindset to really keep going," Bauer said.

A survival guide advises dancers to avoid caffeine before the event, stay fit and eat properly. They also are told to bring several changes of clothes, including 12 pairs of socks and six pairs of "loose-fitting" underwear.

The two-day marathon  includes 10 meals for the dancers and a variety of games and contests to keep them motivated.

On Sunday, the families of cancer patients in the Four Diamonds Fund will make an appearance, to help dancers get through the final hours.

"I'm very fortunate to have this opportunity and have this much history with Thon. And to be able to be so involved with it is awesome," Bauer said.

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