Frater Battles Cancer, Finds Soulmate

DES MOINES, Iowa - Some of us struggle getting to class or work on time (or at all), get out of bed while it's blistering cold outside, or get to that chapter community service event because "it won't be fun." How many of us can say we have battled cancer - the rigorous chemotherapy treatments, countless doctor appointments and hospital stays - and stood up each day with a resolve to beat it? Chances are you may know someone who has been touched with cancer, but have you ever met a Frater who has handled all this and planned a wedding? Frater Brett Larson (Alpha-Xi, Drake University) has been beating his cancer and has been nominated as one of eHarmony's inspirational stories of 2008. See their story and VOTE TODAY for them to win.

Frater Brett and Holly were matched on eHarmony on December 26, 2007. They were both very skeptical since they hadn't had much success as of yet, but Holly decided to contact him and see what happened. After talking on the phone for a few weeks, they decided to meet for coffee in Des Moines on February 9th. During conversation Brett talked about his lower back hurting and subsequent doctor appointment that revealed a mass on his ribs. He was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare, aggressive cancer that only affects about two out of every million people. Frater Brett is unfortunately no stranger to seeing cancer, his father Lon has battled Lymphoma for several years prior. He knew what his father went through and was very worried about the prognosis. With Holly and all of his fellow Fraters at Alpha-Xi by his side, he began his battle to beat it.

"On the day that I had my surgery to remove the rib where the tumor was, which has a 100 percent kill rate, my father suffered a seizure and was diagnosed with a recurrence of his cancer," Frater Brett said. "It hasn't been easy but TKE has really rallied behind me to support me during this very stressful and depressing time. I owe a lot to TKE as a whole and the men of the Alpha-Xi Chapter. They have been wonderful."

Brett, Holly and the Future

Brett proposed to Holly on October 9, 2008 and they are planning their wedding for July 18, 2009. He finished his fourteenth and final round of chemotherapy on October 31 and is cancer-free, praying this will never change.

As far as work goes, he's not sure where he will end up but is happy he has the opportunity to look for work soon. "I worked for Nationwide Insurance prior to my cancer diagnosis in February 2008 as an IT Technician and I really enjoyed my job. Because the treatment for my cancer was going to be rigorous and long I went on disability and am still on disability recovering from chemotherapy. They didn't hold my job for me so I get to start searching for a new job in a few months when I am declared by the doctors ready to return to work."

He joined TKE his sophomore year of college and made many lifelong friends. Frater Brett never considered himself "Greek-potential" and, for some time, he didn't even want to be Greek. TKE changed his perception of what it meant to be a fraternity-man. He keeps in close contact with many of the guys still active in the fraternity and keeps in touch with the alumni. His best man, Scott, was a member of his pledge class.

The Online Matchmaking Phenomenon

In 2007, one out of every eight couples married in the United States met online - a staggering statistic considering the advent of matchmaking sites was merely 15 years ago. Frater Brett believes they are gaining popularity because of the fast-paced lives we live.

"I think that more and more people are realizing that trying to find your soulmate while at a bar isn't the greatest idea," Frater Brett said. "The concept of beer-goggles comes into play. I also believe that many people realize that you can potentially meet more people online than at school, in classes, at work, or wherever you may find yourself. It is difficult in our busy modern lives to truly find the time to meet lots of people and find our potential soulmate."

Frater Brett said he tried eHarmony because he heard of other people's success. It didn't hurt that at every turn he saw commercials keeping eHarmony on his mind. He said it didn't seem as though there were many single women in Des Moines, so what would it hurt trying it?

"I was skeptical through the majority of my subscription," said Frater Brett. "I had been matched with some people I thought I would have been compatible with and I was matched with others wondering how they came up with them. I didn't know what to think but I figured that I could at least meet some more single women around me and see what happened. As it stands today, I found Holly who I would consider my soulmate."

Be sure to vote for Frater Brett and Holly as the 2008 eHarmony Inspirational Story of the Year. Click here to Vote. Send Frater Brett a message.

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