Many people take day-to-day life for granted. Many people plan out activities, trips, events and life in general years ahead of present day. For so many, this luxury is tentative, because when someone is diagnosed with cancer, the life of that person now becomes an ellipsis, and the battle against the poisonous disease begins.

Many people do not live to tell a story of cancer survival. But there are cancer survivors that walk among the student body of Kean University, right here on campus. These people are warriors with stories to tell, and with events like Relay For Life raising awareness about cancer and cancer research, right now is the perfect time to tell those stories.

Kyle Jachim is a senior at Kean University. The 22-year-old resident of Metuchen, NJ is a psychology major. Jachim is a member of the Honor Society of Psychology, Psi Chi, as well as Lambda Alpha Sigma Honor Society.

In addition to having quite the impressive resume, Jachim is also a survivor of stage 3 T-Cell Lymphoma. He was diagnosed when he was 16 years old, and went into remission when he was 18.

“I never knew how serious cancer was, I thought it was like a cold that could be cured in a couple of days. I heard stories, I watched family go through it, but it just never occurred to me how tough it was to fight,” says Jachim.

Jachim has been involved with various cancer organizations, such as the famed Make-A-Wish Foundation, as well as smaller organizations such as Embrace Kids Foundation. He has participated in walks and events held by the American Cancer Society, who is the primary sponsor of Relay For Life.

He is one of the millions of cancer patients granted a wish by the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which is the organization Jachim believes had the most impact on him, and was able to meet Selena Gomez, his favorite musical artist. That experience allowed him to feel almost normal, and take his mind off of his situation at the time.

Jachim battled Lymphoma for nearly two years, and during a volatile time in every human’s life. As a teenager dealing with cancer, Jachim had a much different life than the others his age. A life that so many teenagers take completely for granted.

“I hated that [cancer] didn't let me have a life sometimes. I was a teenager and I felt like I didn’t have enough time for myself, or even enough energy to hang out with friends and just live my life. I’d have my days when I didn’t feel like getting out of bed, days that I felt so sick that I wanted to go to sleep and never wake up, days where I would break down and cry my eyes out,” says Jachim.

Jachim explains his battle with cancer, more specifically the chemotherapy treatments, as riding on a roller coaster. The beginning of the therapy is the incline of the roller coaster, where the individual is feeling fairly normal, but then the roller coaster drops, and the side effects of the chemotherapy kick in and begin to impact every little aspect of everyday life. This process goes over and over until the chemotherapy is completed.

But despite all of the horrors Jachim faced at such a young age, he used his struggle as fuel for his future. He now stands tall as a proud cancer survivor, and is open to telling his story. He even has tattoos that commemorate his survival. His tattoos serve as a constant reminder of what he went through, and how he came out the other side of it triumphantly.

“What people won’t believe is that there is good that actually came out of getting cancer. Cancer made me who I am today by allowing me to choose a career that I am passionate about. It made me want to help other children who are fighting for their own lives, to let them have someone to understand them and just let them know that they have someone on the sidelines rooting for them,” says Jachim proudly.

It is with a heavy heart and a strong spirit that Jachim looks back on his experience as a cancer patient, and now reflects on that time as a cancer survivor. He has learned to never take life for granted and cherish each and every day.

“We shouldn't need a disease like cancer to let people know how much they mean to us. Anything can happen in a blink of an eye in life, it was one random summer night that changed my life forever. We shouldn't ever take people in our lives for granted because you never know what’s going to happen, that’s just how life is,” says Jachim.

For all of those who have never been touched by cancer, there is always an opportunity to help those who have been. It could be as simple as a small donation to organizations like the American Cancer Society, or participating in events like Relay For Life, every little contribution helps.

Stories like Jachim’s should serve as true inspirations for all. For all of those current patients, keep fighting, and for those who have already won the war along with Jachim, be an example of why one should never take life for granted.