Fremont debate students raise funds for coach stricken with cancer

Students raise funds for debate coach with cancer

A group of young East Bay students is learning to use words and wit to make points during debate contests. But the students are also using the power of fundraising to help their beloved coach as he struggles during the treatment of a disease.

FREMONT, Calif. - A group of young East Bay students is learning to use words and wit to make points during debate contests. But the students are also using the power of fundraising to help their beloved coach as he struggles during the treatment of a disease.

"Being at the Brooks Debate Institute was probably the most memorable thing I have. And it's almost like a big family that we have," said Amanda Lee, an alumnus of the institute.

The patriarch of that family, institute founder Stephen Brooks, is absent and in a battle against leukemia.

Why you should care:

"He's been another brother to me, always supporting me," said team co-captain Dhairya Gurnani. 

Added co-captain Ronit Parikh, "He's more of a friend than a teacher. Like he cares about every single student individually."

Brooks was away from his roughly 60 students on Wednesday, undergoing the fourth day of chemotherapy at UCSF Medical Center.

"I woke up one morning and I thought I had appendicitis. I felt a pain in my lower abdomen. I thought my appendix was going to explode," he said via video message from his hospital bed. "Turns out I had an enlarged spleen from low platelet count due to the leukemia I'm fighting."

Once news broke on Sunday about the coach's condition, Lee, Gurnani, and Parikh hatched an idea of how to help. However, this trio's strong suit is debate.

"My parents told me when I was 9 years old, 'You have an insanely argumentative personality,'" said Gurnani. 

Added Parikh, "It's basically like a sport."

Even their parents worried about the rationality of having argumentative teens pursue debate.

"I was worried he's gonna debate me at home. But I was like if he's passionate, let's see how it goes," said Nehul Parikh, Ronit's father.

Team members, who are mostly middle school students, launched their plan to get donations for the coach's cancer treatments and to cover living expenses. A GoFundMe account is active and has raised over $13,000 so far.

"We've just been spreading the word as much as we can, on social media at our school, in the community. And we're just trying to garner as much support as possible for Coach," said Lee.

Brooks became emotional when thinking of this extra effort from his students.

"I'm blessed to have the best students in the entire world," he said. "I can't thank you enough for all the love and support."

Parents said the idea and its execution speaks to their children's growth from kid to teen to young adult.

What they're saying:

"He's not just teaching them about debate. He's really teaching them about how to relate to other people," said parent Brian Lee.

As the institute pivots to find alumni who can help prepare the students for upcoming debates, current members sent messages to the man at the center of the reasoning skills, and they said, their hearts.

"He's had our back for these multiple years, and now whatever you need, I'm here for you," said Gurnani. 

Added Lee, "Coach, you've done so much for us, and we just want to give that back to you." 

And Parikh said, "I wanna do everything I can to help him. And I know he can definitely get through this."

Parent Nehul Parikh said, "[I] hope that everyone prays that he gets through this well." 

And fellow parent Brian Lee said, "Stephen get well. You've done so much for the kids. You've done so much for our family, and it's time for us to do something back for you."

Jesse Gary is a reporter based in the station's South Bay bureau. Follow him on the Instagram platform, @jessegontv and on Facebook, @JesseKTVU.