In November 2021, we had the chance to sit down with junior, Xander Brayfield, a previous SPUD recipient, who is now a part of SPUD.

TR: So you’re a previous SPUD recipient?

XB: Yes, I am.

TR: How is the experience?

XB: I probably could not have gotten the treatment that I needed without the money SPUD raised for me. 

TR: What were the funds used for?

XB: One of the main things that we use the money for is travel because my doctor is in New York City. And so we went back and forth to New York City. We’ve probably [traveled] like 10 times. And obviously, that gets expensive because [of ] flights and hotels and stuff, so the SPUD money helped tremendously with that. We still had the out-of-pocket costs, for my treatment and stuff, and the insurance covered some, but it’s not everything. 

TR:  When were you diagnosed? 

XB: I got diagnosed in May of 2019, It was the end of my eighth-grade year, and I’ve been cancer-free for about a year and a half now. And we still travel to New York for clinical trials to make sure my cancer doesn’t relapse, it’s a shot that I get my leg. And I have one more of those and that will be in a few weeks, then after that’s done we’re gonna be going back for scans and other stuff.

TR: How is the process of becoming a SPUD recipient?

XB: I really don’t know, you’d have to ask my mom because She applied to be a SPUD recipient and I think she got the recommendation from a friend, I can’t remember who it was. It was kind of a blur to me, but I just remember Anna Tweedy, Sarah Boone, and Amanda Mercer just came up to my door, and then they told me I got the little potato in this web thing. That’s the main thing I remember about it. I also remembered that I didn’t really get to go to Norman North during that time because I was immune suppressed.

TR: Did you help with the thing that they put on the wall? It was this paper and people decorated it.

XB: I think I remember I came here one time during decoration weekend, I had a section of a wall to decorate. 

TR: What are you doing now?

XB: So last year in May I tried out for Celtic and I made the team, So I’ve been playing soccer with Celtic recently. And then recently I  tried out for the North team and I made that one as well. I’m also on the SPUD committee right now too.

TR: So does being a SPUD recipient affect how you feel about being on the committee?

XB: Definitely, ever since I became a SPUD recipient I knew that I was gonna join the committee, just to help give back. and next year I’ll probably either join this SPUD class or be an ambassador or something along those lines. But I definitely feel like I should give back. And so far I’ve been doing that, and I’m excited about this year’s SPUD.

TR: Well, thank you for your time.