Comfort through caps

‘Love Your Melon’ donates beanies, activities to children fighting cancer

All over the United States, there are tiny warriors nestled uncomfortably in hospital beds with needles and tubes prodded deep into their fragile, pale skin. For days, months and sometimes years, they will fight painfully against a common enemy through countless surgeries, treatments and transplants in hopes that the battle will end in a field of victory.

Although they are tired and worn with scars marking their difficult journey, a brave smile remains engraved at the corners of their lips, waiting for the news that the enemy has surrendered and they are finally cancer free.

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), more than 10,380 children will be diagnosed with some form of cancer in 2016. The most common types being leukemia, brain or other tumors as well as neuroblastoma and lymphoma. Unfortunately, more than 1,250 of those diagnosed are not expected to survive within the year.

However, a group of Liberty University students, in association with the organization Love Your Melon (LYM), not only hope to lessen that amount for the future, but also bring comfort to children who are suffering from the fatal disease.

In 2012, two students from Minnesota’s University of St. Thomas, Brian Keller and Zachary Quinn, set out on a mission to change the lives of every child battling the pain of cancer through their apparel company, LYM. Their original goal was to give a hat to every child that would not only bring them a smile but bring them a little hope as well.

Today, the company reached its goal with help from students across the nation were responsible for donating more than 51,000 beanies to children fighting cancer in 2015, according the LYM Instagram. Now, the organization has announced it will be donating 50 percent of its sales to the Pinky Swear Foundation and CureSearch in efforts toward pediatric cancer research.

After hearing about the cause and realizing that Liberty was not registered as a campus crew, strategic communications student Paul Mehltretter, who serves as captain for the team, applied on behalf of students at the university who were interested in becoming ambassadors for LYM.

The team’s vice captain and Liberty nursing student, Carly Warner, expressed how her passion for her major and her passion for children have aligned through LYM’s mission.

“One day, I hope to be a nurse for these kids with cancer,” Warner said. “I have spent a lot of time volunteering in the pediatric cancer clinic in the children’s hospital in my hometown and I have never experienced the kind of joy that I did when I was hanging out with those kids.”

Mehltretter explained that LYM works through its campus crews to meet various needs of children suffering from the disease, not just by selling hats, but by going out into the communities to interact with them on a more personal level.

“We like to show up to kids’ houses or hospital rooms, dressed up as superheroes,” Mehltretter said. “We really just want to focus on the child and not the cancer. We are trying to give them a (break) in the atmosphere of nurses and people who are constantly asking them how they feel. We want to accept them for how they are and try to brighten their day that way.”

Mehltretter explained that LYM crews work off of a point system. With each purchase affiliated with the Liberty crew upon checkout, the more activities the team will get to organize with the children.

“We don’t want people to think of it so much as buying a hat,” Mehltretter said. “We are asking people to look at it as they are donating to these children and then their hat is almost like a donor card that other people can see and share. The more hats that people buy, the more credits we have to take these kids out on boat rides, plane rides, helicopter rides and just have adventures with them that they can be excited about.”

According to Mehltretter, the crew is not yet an official club at Liberty. However, it is in the process of becoming one. For the last year, the team, which is capped at 20 Liberty students, has been planning for the fall semester.

For those interested in joining the LYM crew, Mehltretter suggested emailing him at pcmehltretter@liberty.edu to be placed on a waiting list. Positions will become available as schedules change and
members graduate.

Mehltretter expressed that while the Liberty team is working to fulfill LYM’s overall mission, it has an even greater purpose it wishes to share with the world.

“I want this to be a ministry,” Mehltretter said. “I want Liberty University to really stand out. I think that we have enough college students here that we can make a huge impact with LYM. … We can really get our college to be known as one of the top consumers of these products, because I think we are going to do it with a different attitude than everyone else.”

Both Mehltretter and Warner revealed their excitement for the crew’s future plans to bring hope and comfort to children and families that are suffering, whether it be through various activities or simply praying for them. Warner also shared what she has learned throughout the process so far.

“I have learned that prayer is more powerful than we can comprehend,” Warner said. “We prayed for success in forming a crew and God gave us success. We prayed for opportunities to spread the word about Love Your Melon and God has already given us so many opportunities. And we prayed for children to minister to and God has given us specific children that we hope to minister to in the near future.”

To purchase a hat or for more information on LYM, visit loveyourmelon.com. The option to select a college will be available during checkout.

For more information regarding Liberty’s crew, visit their Facebook page: Love Your Melon Crew at Liberty University or on Twitter and Instagram as @lym_lu.

Elliott is a feature reporter.