Austin Decker sat in The Swamp Restaurant’s bar Tuesday night surrounded by dozens of his friends. But he was thinking about the one friend who couldn’t make it.
About a month ago, Decker laid awake when he heard strange noises coming from the other side of his bedroom at 2 a.m.
He got out of bed and found his roommate, Wyatt Fulghum, convulsing in a nocturnal seizure.
Decker drove him to UF Health Shands Hospital where doctors found a fist-sized tumor on the left side of Fulghum’s brain.
Fulghum, a 23-year-old UF international relations masters student, was diagnosed with stage four glioblastoma brain cancer.
“One day we are fine and the next day this kid has a year to live,” Decker said.
Decker, a 23-year-old UF international business and management masters student, hosted a bar crawl at Midtown to raise money for Fulghum’s medical expenses.
Fulghum’s friends, fellow students and Gainesville residents wore gold wristbands and enjoyed a $2,000 bar tab at Fat Daddy’s, JJ’s Tavern and The Rowdy Reptile. Appetizers and drinks were discounted at The Swamp Restaurant, Decker said.
Decker raised $1,750 by selling presale bands and negotiated 10 percent of Tuesday night’s sales from participating restaurants.
All proceeds from the event will go toward Fulghum’s medical costs, Decker said.
Tommy Shields, a 22-year-old UF political science senior, drank beer in The Swamp and remembered working out with Fulghum outside of the UF ROTC building.
Shields aspired to emulate Fulghum’s commitment to helping others, even if that meant consoling his friends and family about his condition, he said.
“He’s not going to be able to help the world like he wanted to,” Shields said.
Fulghum impacts the lives of everyone he interacts with, said Briana Bazail, the 21-year-old president of UF Cicerones.
Bazail said Fulghum gave her the advice she needed to excel in the organization. His knowledge of the organization and stoic confidence inspired her to go from a student member to president.
“His heart is gold,” Bazail said. “And his words are near and dear to my heart.”
Contact Aaron Ritter at aritter@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter at @AaronRitter18
