Tanner Lafferty: Standing for 46 Hours for Two Causes

“The BJC is like a time warp during THON weekend and it really feels like that. You feel like you’re in a different world.”

Tanner Lafferty is one of the 708 dancers staying awake for 46 hours for the annual danceathon. This is something she’s been working toward the moment she stepped onto Penn State’s campus.

The Jenkintown native was introduced to FOTO, a THON special interest organization, through her older brother.

“I think it’s so inspiring to be around people who are all rallying around the same cause. I think it’s really unique that Penn State has something that brings so many people together for the same reason.”

But the passion for trying to find a cure for childhood cancer stemmed much earlier in her life.

Their now 25-year-old cousin was unexpectedly born with a brain tumor. Being the fifth and final child, this rocked Lafferty’s family’s world.

“'Cause it really affects a whole family structure,” says Lafferty.

“So kind of seeing their journey through that, even to this day, has really always been kind of like a driving cause for me. [I] kind of hope one day we can maybe have some better research or have some better testing where that doesn’t have to happen to another family.”

She said it was not a rough way to grow up, but a different way to grow up. She felt the strain it had on her aunt and uncle and everyone else in her family. The constant appointments and procedures took a toll.

“And it’s not like any dig at my aunt and uncle but I think it’s just difficult to spread your attention. Even just with five kids in general, but then again having one who needs so much specific attention, it’s hard to kind of separate yourself from that and still be present as you want to be.”

Lafferty says her cousin experiences physical and mental delays, but she’s happy and healthy. They have a close relationship, something that had to be worked on over the years.

The third-year nursing major talks about how she likes being around people with disabilities. She says that people need to deeply understand someone with disabilities to be there for them. Lafferty thanked her cousin for teaching her humility and perspective on these topics.

Many people at Penn State feel the same way. It’s competitive through every organization to dance during THON weekend. Lafferty explained the three-stage process FOTO takes to choose its dancers.

Firstly, FOTO has a point system for participation in events, fundraisers and more. Those with a certain number of points move on to stage two. These people are then allowed to give a speech to the entire organization as to why they believe they should dance on behalf of everyone. The members vote for who advances to the third and final stage: interviews. Those on the FOTO board who aren’t dancing interview the finalists. The criteria of how they choose their dancers are unknown.

Six people are chosen and one of them happens to be Lafferty.

“They’re all cheering, they have a poster for me, they’re playing ‘Congratulations’ [by Post Malone]. It was crazy, I had convinced myself at that point that I was not getting it so it was like the moment.”

Lafferty had around two months to mentally and physically prepare.

The first person she turned to was her brother. He danced in THON 2023. She asked, “How did you do this? Or like what are some of the things you would’ve told yourself now?”

FOTO has a large alumni and she asked for advice from them as well. Lafferty says many of them focused on the mental aspect more so than the physical. They told her to ‘go with the flow’ and to ‘stay positive.’

On the physical side of things, she’s been stretching for 20 minutes a day while trying to go to the gym to use the Stairmaster when she can. Lafferty cut out caffeine and other drinks like it. She talked about how important it is to build body endurance for an event like this.

FOTO partners with four families: The Eslingers, Knapers, Tramels and Ross.’ Lafferty says three out of the four families will be making it to THON this year. Throughout the year, FOTO plans family visits to provide emotional support and fun.

“I’m a nursing major and I want to go into pediatric oncology in the future. That’s mainly because of them [FOTO Families].

While her cousin has never made it to THON, she will be watching and cheering Lafferty on through the 46Live stream.

To learn more about FOTO and how it contributes to THON, visit its website: http://fotoisfamily.org/. To donate to THON, visit its website: https://thon.org/.

Emily McGlynn is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email esm5378@psu.edu.