Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity Lighting Up a Little Fighter’s Life

Sadly, 12-year-old Lexi Brown is pretty used to hospital rooms by now.

The little cancer fighter, who herself has done an amazing job fundraising for other Children with Cancer, has been in and out of treatment since she was first diagnosed a year and a half ago, when doctors removed a tumour from the muscle in her thigh.

After undergoing chemotherapy and radiation, Lexi went into remission, but her cancer has unfortunately returned.

She was staying at Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA in late October when her cancer treatment weakened her heart. The pre-teen and her mom posted a sign in her hospital window asking for pizza.

What neither realised was that Lexi had ended up in a room right next to the University of California, Los Angeles’ Sigma Alpha Epsilon House at UCLA, and even less of an idea of the friendship that would come from that fact.

What they also didn’t know is that the boys of the SAE fraternity spotted the sign and decided to do something incredible for Lexi.

“Five guys come in, and they had a guitar and dozen roses and a box of pizza,” Lisa says. “They introduced themselves and said, ‘We saw your sign; we’re here.’ They stayed for a half an hour, they sang this song and I started bawling my head off. I’m like, ‘I can’t believe these people are here for my child.”

The five SAE brothers arrived at the hospital with not just pizza, but a dozen red roses and a guitar. Then they serenaded Lexi with a rendition of Disclosure and Sam Smith’s hit “Latch.” You can hear a tiny snippet of them singing by clicking on the screenshot below.

 

To give you an idea of the emotion you can see being felt by Lexi and her Mom, here are the words to Sam Smith’s “Latch”

 

You lift my heart out
When the rest of me is down
You, you enchant me, even when you are not around
If there are boundaries, I will try to knock them down
I’m latching on, babe
Now I know what I have found
I feel we’re close enough
Could I lock in your love
I feel we’re close enough
Could I lock in your love
Now I’ve got you in my space
I won’t let go of you
Got you shackled in my embrace
I’m latching on to you
I’m so encaptured, got me wrapped up in your touch
Feel so enamored, hold me tight within your clutch
How do you do it, you got me losing every breath
What did you give me to make my heart beat out my chest
I feel we’re close enough
Could I lock in your love
I feel we’re close enough
Could I lock in your love
Now I’ve got you in my space
I won’t let go of you
Got you shackled in my embrace
I’m latching on to you
Now I’ve got you in my space
I won’t let go of you
Got you shackled in my embrace
I’m latching on to you
I’m latching on to you

Read more: Sam Smith – Latch Lyrics | MetroLyrics

Well, the SAE guys have certainly remained true to the words of the song, and have “latched” onto Lexi with love, bringing many others along with them.

“You know, one of our creeds is being a true gentleman, and that’s following through and making sure that we can do everything we can,” said SAE fraternity member Christian Wehrly.

Another member, Chase Gasper, found out that Lexi loved soccer. Because he just so happens to be on the UCLA Men’s Soccer Team, he came up with a brilliant idea:

“I texted my teammates and they all stepped up to the plate to visit her,” he told IJ.com. “Everyone who got to know her was really moved. It was an incredible experience and we really want her to get through this.”

 

And that wasn’t all. The team also brought jerseys, hats, scarves and t-shirts for Lexi, AND they even surprised her with tickets to their game.

“When we played our game, we kind of played with an extra edge,” said Gasper. “We really wanted to win for her, and we did.”

The gentleman of SAE started a tidal wave of kindness from other sports teams and organizations at UCLA. Members of the swimming, rowing and tennis teams came in to visit, as well as the Christian Campus Ministry.

But it is the boys of SAE who will always have a special place in Lexi’s heart.

Their special bond is evident as you listen to them serenade the young girl at her bedside.

Lexi recently found out that the cancer has spread into her lungs, but these guys keep going above and beyond to let her know they’re there for her.

…and now she’s reminded every time she looks out her hospital window:

 

Image Credit: Screenshot / CBS News

When it became time for the frat to decorate its house with Christmas lights, there was an addition among the glittery Greek letters: the guys spelled her name in lights on their frat house to show her that she is their light. How absolutely AWESOME is that?

“They had me turn around and look at the lights, and I saw my name on the roof,” she told CBS LA. “I thought it was really cool. I didn’t think that would ever happen.”

Lexi recently learned her cancer spread to her lungs and says the lights help “keep her mind off things.”

They plan to keep up Lexi’s sign through the holidays to keep her spirits up—but she’s not the only one who’s been rewarded through the friendship. The SAE boys have been exceedingly blessed to meet her too, and it’s helped to put their lives in perspective.

“I have had a very blessed life, nothing comes close to what she’s gone through. She’s such a strong girl,” said Gasper.

Lexi is back at home now in Santa Barbara, but the lights remain as a tribute to the unique friendship she and the fraternity brothers created.

It was an unlikely friendship that all started with a group of young men looking into the window of one little girl’s room, and seeing how they could change her life for the better.

And so, they did. ♥

 

Sigma Alpha Epsilon has had a bad year — chapters at Yale, Stanford, and the University of Oklahoma all came under heavy scrutiny for bad behaviour toward women and students of colour — but the brothers of UCLA are demonstrating what the Greek system is supposed to represent.

 

We at the Little Fighters Cancer Trust think these guys are AWESOME – please give them a shoutout at @UCLA_SAE to let them know if you do too!

 

Thank You, Sigma Alpha Epsilon on behalf of all Little Fighters everywhere – it is great to know that there are such great young gentlemen in the world!