Never would I have thought I would text my mother asking her for the number of a good podiatrist, but here I am, one day after the most exhilarating, life changing 24 hours of my life, asking away. Upon signing up for the University of Iowa's Dance Marathon, I really didn't know a ton about it other than it was the university's largest club (consisting of more than 2,000 students), and all proceeds raised went to the University of Iowa Children's Hospital. Despite not knowing much information, I decided to throw caution to the wind and sign up, figuring the worst that could happen would be getting a few E-mail reminders once a month for club meetings I didn't want to attend.

The group kicked off the beginning of the year with an informative- yet kid approved- meeting where we were told all about the mission behind Dance Marathon and the big event that made the organization such a success. There were decorations for the Monsters Inc. themed event splattered all across the room and there were happy people everywhere, bubbling to the surface with joy for their beloved group. If we're going to be honest, it was a little much to walk into right off the bat. Everyone seemed so excited to be where they were, so thrilled to get to do what they do, and I just didn't understand the hype. Sure, it was a great organization to be a part of, I mean, the soul purpose was to raise money for the pediatric patients and their families at our school's hospital. And yes, it was very cool that there were countless opportunities to personally interact with the children and their families, not just as cancer patients, but as people you would come to love and admire. But still, it seemed pretty unconventional for a bunch of college students to be so involved in such a selfless organization. Regardless, I stuck with it, attending the monthly meetings and raising enough money to make it to the big event. The big event was the culmination of all the hard work and dedication each dancer, leader, and family member put into Dance Marathon and it all boiled down to a mere 24 hours of non-stop dancing. From 7 pm on February 5th to 7 pm on February 6th, the Iowa Memorial Union was packed with people decked out in lime green, ready to stand on their feet and dance to find a cure for pediatric cancer. There were constant sources of entertainment, ranging from fire eating dare devils to a game of family feud hosted by the state of Iowa's favorite bachelor, Chris Soules.

All of this was going on amidst the never ending dance party, held by DJ's who were just as in to Dance Marathon as everyone else. However, nothing compared to the moments during DM where cancer survivors, fighters, and family members took the main stage to share their story of how cancer affected their lives. They spoke about the bonds they formed with other families in their situation, the appreciation they had for all Dance Marathon had done to make their journey with cancer an easier one, and the endless and unconditional love they shared with one another. Some stories ended in the most wonderful ways imaginable, while others ripped your heart out and left an excruciating pain in your chest. Either way, the message was clear: give the world all your love, and the world will give all its love back to you. There were kiddos singing, dancing, and running around with all the students in the Memorial Union, so happy to be seen as more than a patient and more than a diagnosis. There were family members standing by photo collages of their late loved ones, so proud to spread their spirit and heart with people who will always keep their memory alive. There were people taking a moment of silence to reflect on how their lives were forever changed by a diagnosis, and then there were kids who took the main stage in graduation gowns to mark the 5th anniversary since cancer was eradicated from their life, finally being able to say they were cured.

The pure, unfiltered, flawless joy radiating around the room never ceased and the love and admiration each person had for one another continued to amaze and inspire everyone, all 24 hours long. The last night ended with people leaping to the ceiling with overwhelming excitement, as it was announced that DM had raised over 2.4 million dollars for the University of Iowa Children's Hospital, and tears of joy as all that everyone had done for the kids finally settled in. We linked arms creating a circle around the room and held each other as we listened to Angels Among Us, holding each other with the peace of knowing we changed lives, as we had made an impact on these kids that would last a lifetime. It made us vow to one another to support each other in all our endeavors, and it made us promise to say, "when cancer is cured, we'll dance for joy. But until then, we'll dance for life."