In case you haven’t heard, Florida State won the BCS National Championship this past January. Trying to choose what team member I would focus on for this campus celebrity article was quite difficult. So naturally, I went with the most obvious choice. I decided to write about the star of the team. You guessed right, I chose to write about Ethan Fisher.
Although Jimbo Fisher’s eight-year-old son Ethan wasn’t actually on the field in Pasadena on January 6, 2014, he’s still a very important part of the team, school, and community. While our football team had been fighting all year to be number one and national champions, Ethan Fisher was fighting for something much bigger: his life. A few years ago, Ethan was diagnosed with Fanconi anemia. Fanconi anemia is a rare, inherited blood disorder that leads to bone marrow failure. The average life expectancy for someone with the disease is 30 years. However, the Fisher’s and the Seminole community are fighting to change that.
When Jimbo and Candi Fisher learned of their son’s diagnosis, they wanted to learn as much as possible about the disease, but quickly realized there wasn’t much out there for them. The Fisher’s started the Kidz 1st Fund in 2011 to not only help raise awareness and educate people on Fanconi anemia, but also to raise money for Fanconi anemia research. The Kidz 1st Fund’s hope is to find a cure for Ethan and many other children affected by the disease. Jimbo and Candi Fisher’s Kidz 1st Fund has raised over $2 million dollars since it began almost three years ago.
My campus celebrity may not be a Heisman winner or have highlights shown on ESPN, but that doesn’t make him any less of a celebrity. Do you remember what you were doing when you were eight years old? It’s a time when probably your biggest concerns were if you’d get that new toy your friends were all talking about or what you wanted to do for your next birthday party. At that age many of us were probably dreaming of our future as a doctor, an astronaut, a rock star, or maybe even a professional football player. Many of us at eight years old weren’t fighting for our life, fighting for our future like Ethan Fisher. The amazing thing is he does it all with a smile on his face and a Seminole jersey on his back.
Although Ethan wasn’t a starter for our unconquered football team this season, many of you probably saw him sporting his #83 FSU jersey during home game warm-ups, bouncing around the field from offense to defense and then of course over to dad, Jimbo Fisher, to give a little pregame coaching advice I’m sure. Ethan could be seen giving out high-fives and fist pumps to players before the first quarter began. While Renegade and Osceola are what most people associate as FSU’s mascots, Ethan Fisher is quickly becoming the unofficial mascot of our championship football team. I think Ethan is a great reminder to not take anything for granted and to celebrate every moment no matter how big or small.
Celebrity is defined as the state of being celebrated. If you ask me, Ethan Fisher is more than worthy of being celebrated. He’s an excellent symbol of hope, joy, courage, and the heart of a champion. He’s a true Florida State Seminole. So join the Fisher’s and the Kidz 1st Fund and say, “I FIGHT FANCONI” for Ethan and all of the other little celebrities fighting this disease. To find out more about Fanconi anemia and the Kidz 1st Fund go to http://www.kidz1stfund.com/.