Last summer, sophomore Blake Reisman began feeling intense pain in his right hip. After seeing three doctors, Reisman said he was told it was nothing more than a stress fracture.
Reisman also had a cough, which lasted for four months. The doctors told him it was “just allergies.”
The pain became so great he was unable to walk to class. He wasn’t even able to fall asleep.
Eventually, Reisman said he decided to visit a hospital in Bloomington, where, after some blood tests and an x-ray, he learned he had a large tumor in his chest.
After finding out this news, Reisman called sophomore Cody Conway. Reisman told Conway he had bad news and needed to be picked up from the hospital.
Reisman’s parents picked up their son and drove him to their home in Dallas, Texas, and checked in at the Children’s Medical Center.
“We were devastated,” said Harriet Reisman-Snyder, Reisman’s mother. “It was the worst moment of our lives.”
Four biopsies later, Reisman said he finally learned he had stage-four Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The cancer had spread throughout his body to his neck, shoulder, chest, stomach and hip.
Because of the severity of his condition, Reisman said he had to immediately travel home without being able to explain the situation to his brothers at Phi Kappa Psi.
“I never really got to say goodbye or anything,” Reisman said. “It was like, this is happening. You need to pack all your bags and go home.”
About a month later, Reisman said he was informed about the suspension of his chapter.
“It was pretty heartbreaking,” Reisman said. “I just wanted to get back to the house and be with my friends, and now that’s not really an option anymore.”
Regardless, Reisman said he still feels like a Phi Psi brother at heart and is very grateful for the support of his fraternity brothers.
For the first five to six weeks after his diagnosis, Reisman was critically ill in the hospital and had seven surgeries, Reisman-Snyder said.
Reisman’s mother has been with him since his diagnosis — taking care of him.
“I’m doing what any mother would do,” Reisman- Snyder said.
Reisman-Snyder said despite his condition, her son is actually grateful for this experience because he feels it will make him a better person.
“His body kept shutting down, one after another, and he kept saying ‘I’m grateful,’” she said.
Reisman said he feels fortunate about his diagnosis because he was told lymphoma has a 75 percent curability rate, as long as it is treated within the first five years. All of the areas with cancer on Reisman’s body were reduced to inactivity.
“I got really lucky with my diagnosis,” Reisman said.
Brothers from Phi Psi have also made an effort to keep in contact with Reisman, Reisman-Snyder said.
“His brothers have non-stop texted him, Snapchatted him and Facetimed him,” Reisman-Snyder said. “They have been phenomenal support, and it has meant the world to Blake.”
Reisman received significant help from the brothers of his chapter, even though it was suspended last December.
Phi Psi began a GroupMe page and held a philanthropy event called “Battle for Blake,” Conway said. The philanthropy of Reisman’s choice was toward the Children’s Medical Center Foundation.
Because of these actions, the chapter raised about $43,000 in a month. The goal is $50,000 by the end of the semester.
In the next couple of weeks, Conway said Phi Psi is planning on putting on an auction, where the funds will go to the same donation. Items included at the auction are a Peyton Manning autographed football and Wayne Gretzky hockey gear.
Next semester, Reisman said he plans on returning to IU to finish his education and earn a degree through Kelley School of Business.
Until then, Reisman-Snyder said her son will be taking three courses during the summer through Dallas Community College in order to catch up on his missed education.
In order to get back into shape, Reisman has also been working out recently, Reisman-Snyder said.
“By the time he comes back to IU, people are going to think he was faking this whole time,” she said.
Conway said while he thought at first Reisman was a quiet person, he realized over time that Reisman is one of the strongest people he has ever met.
“He’s one of the most genuine guys I have met in my life,” Conway said. “That’s why I consider him my best friend for life.”
