Our Rocket Family Comes Together to Help Sara
By Emma Sampson
March 31, 2020
Like many others, when I read last week about Saranlak (Sara) Tumfong’s story, my heart immediately sank.
Sara, a senior on the women's golf team, was recently diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and is currently undergoing chemotherapy in Toledo.
Looking for a way to comfort her, I reached out to other Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) members for ideas and money for a care package. Many people were willing to help and contribute to a gift. We all agreed that flowers would be nice, maybe a coloring book and puzzle, but we never thought that her care package would turn into a donation.
Because Sara could not receive flowers due to her chemotherapy treatment, we had to brainstorm for a different idea. I saw the link for the GoFundMe and thought, maybe we could turn the idea of splitting up the cost of a care package into the idea of splitting up the cost of her medical treatments. I brought the idea up to fellow SAAC member Obi Anunike, who had been helping me brainstorm and execute the care package, and he agreed that it was worth a shot.
The “Rocket Family” donation pool was created as an effort to collect small donations from Sara’s fellow student-athletes, resulting in a donation directly from the community here on campus. Because so many SAAC members were willing to donate towards flowers, I thought that sharing Sara’s story beyond SAAC was worthwhile. Obi and I began contacting SAAC members, sharing her story and diagnosis, asking for a small donation, and asking each person to pass the message along to teammates and friends within the athletic department.
The response was incredible. On the first day, we collected over $400 – and the support did not stop there. Student athletes continued to spread the word, and funds continued to pour in. In just under a week, we were able to raise $1,350 as a Rocket Family.
So, thank you. Thank you to everyone who has played such a vital role in making this possible. We could not have done this on our own. The overwhelming generosity displayed by our fellow Rockets has truly been inspiring. However, the work is not finished. Sara currently needs $50,000 for her treatment, and with our donation, her
GoFundMe account is approaching $20,000. Whether it’s a share on social media, a conversation with loved ones, or a donation to help with medical expenses -- everything helps.
Sara needs our help. If you have not already, please consider joining the fight.
Emma Sampson is a junior on the women’s swimming & diving team, and serves as SAAC vice president
Previous Rocket Blogs
Isolation Can Make Time Management a Challenge For Students (March 28, 2020)
Many Challenges Are Ahead for Rocket Athletics (March 25, 2020)
Waking Up From a Perfect Dream to Face a New Reality (March 20, 2020)
Saranlak Tumfong Begins Fight Against Cancer (March 19, 2020)
Healthy Ways to Deal with Anxiety During a Health Crisis (March 18, 2020)
A Note From the Athletic Director: Stay Strong Rocket Nation! (March 17, 2020)
How Can We Live Without Sports? For Now, We Must (March 14, 2020)
They Call it March Madness for a Reason (March 10, 2020)
Networking Connects Student-Athletes to Potential Futures Outside of Their Sport (Feb. 28, 2020)
The Battle Against Breast Cancer is Everyone's Fight (Feb. 20, 2020)
Organ Donation is the Greatest Gift You Can Give (Feb. 12, 2020)
Rockets Keep Winning the Recruiting War (Feb. 6, 2020)
Candle's assistant coach hires are great news for the Rockets (Jan. 31, 2020)
