By Dylan Meyer   The number is 30,090.  This is the number of deaths in the United States from prostate and testicular cancer to date in 2013, according to Cancer.gov. Today, there...

When starting up a student organization on UW-Whitewater’s campus, one has to consider how to balance their classes, homework and free time with their new responsibility. For Mark Liederbach, he had to add cancer treatments to that list. Last November, Liederbach began to notice signs of cancer, and after several doctors’ visits, had to undergo surgery to find out the final diagnosis. “I was in recovery from my surgery when I received the phone call from the doctor,” Liederbach said. “They told me I had stage two testicular cancer.”

This Homecoming will be special for AJ Raebel. Actually, all the Homecomings from here on out will be quite special for him. Raebel, who graduated in May 2009, looks at life a little different these days. “I don’t take the little things in life for granted anymore,” Raebel said. “Just things like playing catch and going for a run are gifts.”

It wasn’t the news AJ Raebel wanted to hear, but he’s sure not going to stop fighting now. The former two-time All-American linebacker, who was diagnosed with testicular cancer last November, learned last week he will need to have surgery to remove his lymph nodes.

The thought was in AJ Raebel’s mind for nearly eight months. Yet, he tried to put that thought out of his mind and no where near the surface. That is until he had no choice. “The pain got worse,” said Raebel, who last played on the UW-Whitewater football team during the 2007 season when the Warhawks won their first national championship in school history.