'Keep on dancing,' 3-year-old beneficiary says

Alice Truong/The Daily Northwestern

Shortly after the faculty dance alongside students on stage in the Louis Room, three-year-old Madison Booker go on stage along with her family.

"Keep on dancing," Madison said to the dancers.

Bear Necessities is the pediatric cancer foundation that has been helping support our family.

Madison encouraged the dancers to keep on dancing and danced alongside on stage.

"Madison's so full of life," her mom Desriee Thomas said. "It was wonderful."

Madison was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a cancer that affects the nervous system and is the most common cancer in infancy, last September. When the weekend ends, Madison will undergo a six-week process starting Monday, first with a stem cell transplant and later radiation.

"Hopefully after everything's done, we'll be cancer free and in remission," Thomas said.

Thomas said it was touching to see so many dancers helping children, such as Madison.

"This is so amazing. This is beyond my wildest dreams," Thomas said.

Paul Takahashi/The Daily Northwestern

Even though Madison was grooving on stage alongside Northwestern students, Thomas said Madison is "probably too young to understand."

"I think if she did understand, it would mean the world to her that somebody who didn't know her was dancing to help fight a disease or a cause that she has. It's just so amazing and it's hard when you don't have very much knowledge about childhood cancer."

Alice Truong/The Daily Northwestern