Ber's Story

The son of ACAC Group Exercise instructor Amber van der Meer and her husband Stephen and big brother to little Elizabeth, Ber is an extremely special, loving, energetic and curious six- year-old boy. Ber has always been the special kind of child that brightens the lives of everyone around him and his courage is beyond description.

On the week of Ber's fourth birthday, he went to the doctor with suspected growing pains in his legs. Family and friends were devastated to learn that he was diagnosed with Stage-4 Neuroblastoma, a type of children's cancer. Ber immediately started chemotherapy at MCV. After completing chemo in Richmond, Ber then had surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering in NYC. Though not yet in remission, Ber will continue to fight this disease with our help. The outpouring of support from the community the past three years has been awe-inspiring and the hope is to pull together again to help Ber and his family with this tremendous fight as well as raise funds for others affected by this illness.

Neuroblastoma affects roughly 650 children each year in the US. The 5-year survival rate for children greater than 1 year of age who are diagnosed with Stage-4 Neuroblastoma is only 30-40 percent. Despite these dismal odds, very few funds are available for research due to the rare occurrence of this disease.

About ACAC Fitness & Wellness Centers
ACAC Fitness and Wellness Centers has been providing quality fitness and wellness services since 1984. With clubs in Charlottesville and Midlothian, VA as well as in West Chester, PA, ACAC features comprehensive fitness facilities complemented by aquatics programs, personal training, medical programs, summer camps, senior fitness and wellness, kids' programs and corporate fitness programs. Often referred to in national and international industry publications as creating benchmark facilities and recently ranked #38 in the nation by Club Industry's Top 100, ACAC continues to break new ground in the development of fitness and wellness.