I met Hannah Scott this past summer when I was chaperoning a youth mission trip to New Orleans. The first day of the trip, Hannah and I had the job of weeding flowerbeds at a charter school in the rain and heat. I learned then that Hannah has a heart for people and is a hard worker. Now, Hannah is demonstrating her love for people and dedictation to hard work in a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Please read her story below and make a donation to her cause. Prayers are also needed for our team over the next 6 weeks as we work hard to raise funds to cure blood cancers and impact the lives of others. 

Hannah's story:

I am honored to have been accepted as a candidate in the 2018 Students of the Year (SOY)program, a seven-week initiative in which select high school students from around the country participate in a fundraising competition to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). The candidate team who raises the most money at the end of the seven weeks is named Student of the Year.

I am participating in Student of the Year to help others and for a personal reason, my dad, Glenn.

He experienced excrutiating back pain at the age of 23 that was first treated with medication and physical therapy, After several months of continued pain, his family doctor referred him to an orthopaedist for a consultation. With tears in his eyes, the orthopaedist told my dad that he had tumors in his spine and blood work indicted that he had cancer. The next day was filled with testing and an oncology visit when he was told that he had stage IV non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a cancer that spread outside of the lymphatic system to other organs. His prognosis was poor, but thanks to a new aggressive chemotherapy at the time and a true miracle, he will be celebrating 21 years of remission this April! My dad's story has motivated me to raise money to CURE blood cancers and go to medical school to become an oncologist. Every four minutes a person will be diagnosed with a blood cancer and every nine minutes a person will die from a blood cancer. Our family will continue to raise money for blood cancer research until the day there is a CURE for blood cancers. Help us in making someday today in finding a cure. 

 I believe in the work of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society! Many LLS supported therapies not only help blood cancer patients but are helping patients with other cancers and serious diseases. In fact, drugs first approved for blood cancers are now approved to treat patients with stomach cancers, skin cancers, and autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. Not only does LLS fund lifesaving blood cancer research, but they also help provide critical information and support for patients, and support advocacy for laws to ensure patients can access the care and treatments they need.

All donations are greatly appreciated and are tax deductible.  Please check with your company to see if they will provide a matching gift to your donation. Please let me know if you are donating in memory or in honor of someone affected by a blood cancer.

On behalf of blood cancer patients everywhere I thank you for your support!

For more information about LLS, please visit www.lls.org