As a senior at Wheaton, Craven struggled with the neurological disorder known as Guillain-Barre syndrome. For most of the year he was paralyzed from the chest down, unable to attend classes. "I remember feeling terribly down," he said in the 1997 Tribune interview. "The illness set back my graduation by nearly a year, but the support I received from students and faculty members through that period was so moving to me. People  I didn't know came to visit, to pray for my recovery. To me, their thoughts and prayers represented the best side of Christianity. I'll never forget that side of Wheaton College. Never."

— Wes Craven appreciation - Chicago Tribune