MAGGIE GILROY
Reverb Editor
While most two-year-olds spend their time in daycare or on play dates, Tanner Jubert spent his in hospitals amongst radiologists and surgeons. A few weeks after his second birthday Jubert was diagnosed with Leukemia, a disease he battled for four years until he went into remission at the age of six.
Now 22 and a BA theatre arts major, Jubert is happy to say that two decades have passed since his diagnosis.
Jubert was recently asked to be SUNY Fredonia’s Relay for Life Honorary Survivor, an honor he described as “huge.” In the time leading up to Relay, Jubert is currently organizing “Cabaret for a Cure,” a performance that will showcase student performers. All proceeds made during the event will go toward the Relay for Life teams of Jubert, Jill Clough, a sophomore acting major, and Anthony Ward, a junior theatre arts major.
As Jubert’s battle occurred at such a young age, he only has a few memories of the experience, including receiving a lot of stuffed animals, spending months at a time at the hospital and going through surgery.
“What I really remember, is I would take my IV cart with me wherever I went and I would ride it down the ramps of the hospital,” Jubert said, “I was a kid so I didn’t really let it get me down because I didn’t know what was going on.”
He also has memories of curling into a ball and attempting to resist uncomfortable spinal taps.
“My mom told me, though, once they [doctors] learned if they put a television down there I stopped moving, then they started doing that and they didn’t have to hold me as much,” Jubert said.
While Jubert’s experience with cancer is now a distant memory, the experiences he has made while reaching out to others who have battled cancer is fresh in his mind. For 10 years, Jubert has attended Camp Ta-Kum-Ta, a camp for children with cancer, in Vermont. He has recently spent the past three years working at the camp as a Counselor in Training.
“We just have an all-around great time,” Jubert said, “It’s really a great place.”
While Jubert has enjoyed his experience at the camp, it taught him the reality of life at a very young age.
“As unfortunate as it sounds, I’m a little bit less sensitive to death,” he said. “I went to a camp where you were playing with kids over one week for one summer and the next summer you come back and they’re not there anymore.”
Jubert has not taken his survival for granted.
“I’ve never been a wild kid, I never did crazy things,” Jubert said. “The older generation likes to say that our generation thinks it’s invincible and, growing up under circumstances, you just know that it’s not true. I still have my fun, but I’m a little more aware of what can happen.”
As a member of the Department of Theatre and Dance, Jubert felt that he could utilize the talent of the department in order to raise money for Relay.
“It’s kind of to raise money and awareness in a fashion we know how,” Jubert said.
Assisting Jubert in organizing the event is Clough and Ward. Clough is also co-vice president of Colleges Against Cancer. Clough and Jubert had the idea for the Cabaret after struggling to fundraise individually for the Relay.
“For us, it’s a way to say we’re actively trying to do something to prevent this,” Clough said. “Nobody should have to go through this. And yes, we have had to be the unfortunate ones that have had to deal with this, and everybody really has, but we want to make it a world where people don’t have to feel like this.”
The Cabaret is being produced through the Performing Arts Company as a “special studio hour.” Participants in the Cabaret are encouraged to perform in any way they wish.
“Most of the people who are performing have a special connection to it [cancer],” Clough said. Clough was inspired to fundraise after losing her uncle to a five year battle with melanoma.
“He always thought that anything they gave him immediately was helping,” Clough said. “To be diagnosed with Stage Three Melanoma and to survive for five years is mind boggling, so he was really strong to the end. So that was my first experience, really with anyone dying in my life and also with cancer.”
The Cabaret will also feature a raffle with Relay goods from Colleges Against Cancer.
“I was relying on my peers to kind of come through, maybe if they can see one of their own people who’s in a class next to them as a part of it then maybe they will be more motivated or willing to participate,” Jubert said. “And, I mean, what better way to gather people than a concert?”
Performers, as well as audience members, are encouraged to donate a one dollar minimum to participate. Jubert plans on speaking at the Cabaret in order to address the seriousness of the disease.
“While it is going to be a cheerful night, almost a celebration of what we’re trying to do, I’m hoping to bring a serious note and let people know that that one dollar could buy a machine for a hospital, or it could do so many things,” Jubert said. “The one dollar that would’ve been is now there.”
On April 12 Jubert will speak at the Relay for Life, a title he feels honored to have been given. Jubert believes that having a college-age survivor speak will resonate with his peers.
“If I can do anything to help people either understand, or if they want to somebody to talk to about it who’s been through it that’s perfectly fine,” Jubert said. “I’m more than willing to do that.”
“One of the things we are trying to stress at the actual Relay for Life event is it can happen to anyone,” Clough said. “Our Honorary Survivor is a student.”
In addition to raising funds, Clough wants audience members to take away a feeling of hope – the theme for the evening.
“And the idea that one: that we have talented people in this department that are standing for something good and are using their talents for the better and two: some hope and some idea of how real this is,” Clough said. “That at least 10 people who are up there performing, at least, have had some experience with this, which is why they are being strong enough to get up and do this. Just a way to bring together people and realize you’re not the only one.”
Jubert stresses that the Cabaret is not an event exclusive to the theatre department, and people from all walks of life are encouraged to attend.
“As long as people are there for the right reasons,” Jubert said. “I want people to feel welcomed to come and just enjoy, have a good time and help fight some cancer.”
The Cabaret for a Cure will take place on March 29 at 8p.m. in Mason 1051.
“If we can get at least a dollar from everyone that comes, or if we can fill the seats and at least let people understand so that they go home and make a donation to the Relay,” Jubert said, “mission accomplished.”