Dear friends and family,

I am thrilled to share with you that I have been nominated to be a candidate for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Student of the Year campaign! As a Student of the Year candidate I have joined forces with my friend, Nazeli Ter-Abramyan to create our own fundraising team… Sisters of Survivors (#SOS). Nazeli and I are co-candidates because we both know how it is to be a sibling of a cancer survivor.  My little brother Alex was diagnosed with Leukemia when he was 6 years old. Nazeli’s little sister was diagnosed with Lymphoma when she was 8 years old. Sadly, both our families suffered the same tragic fate and had to endure so much as a result.  

I will never forget the day I received the bad news. At the young age of 6 he was robbed of his childhood. He had to face a reality that he did not understand. He did not understand why he can no longer go to school or why he has to stay in the hospital most of the time. A 6 year old should have a calendar filled with lots of fun activities, play dates with friends, visits to amusement parks, and sports that he wanted to play. Instead, his calendar was filled with extreme chemotherapy treatments, clinic days, lumbar punctures, and doctors visits. It was heartbreaking to see him go through that every day. Honestly, I don’t know if Alex even knew what was really happening to him. I remember walking into his hospital room and being greeted with flying Nerf gun bullets. He is my true inspiration, the definition of Brave. He will always be my Alexander The Great.

In honor of my brother, I will do my part to help others who are fighting the same fight. Unfortunately, more than one third of patients still do not survive 5 years after diagnosis, but that is why LLS is making a difference. They have invested more than $1.2 billion in research since its inception. Over that time, survival rates for many blood cancer patients has doubled, tripled, and even quadrupled.

Our competition start date is January 16, (oddly, it is the same date that my brother was taken to ER for his symptoms).  We will be launching our 7-week campaign to raise awareness and money for LLS. Over the seven weeks, we will be hosting several events and fundraising money for this amazing cause. Our goal is to raise a whopping $50,000!

Although it will be challenging to reach, with your help we can do it! Every donation makes a difference.  I am writing today to ask for your support of Sisters of Survivors by making a generous donation to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society on this fundraising website. All donations made are tax deductible. LLS’s tax ID# is 13-5644916. My family and team appreciate any donation you can make!

Thank you for helping me make a difference and helping LLS ensure a future without cancer.

Sincerely,

Emily Darbinyan