Hello,

My name is Will Corry. In April 2021, I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Now, a year and a half later, I am in remission after receiving a bone marrow transplant and 3 cycles of chemotherapy. This year, as a junior in high school, I was selected to be a candidate for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Student Visionaries of the Year campaign alongside my co-candidate Christine Xie. We, Team for a Brighter Future, are working with a team of family and friends to raise $150,000 between February 21-April 14 in honor of ​​​​​​​patient education and support.

I am running as a student visionary of the year because I know first hand the challenges of fighting a blood cancer. Towards the end of my freshman year of high school, I decided to get bloodwork done because I was having constant fatigue and my legs felt extremely heavy when playing soccer. The tests revealed that my white count was 114,00 compared to a normal 15,000 and my hemoglobin, which supplies oxygen to the body, was 4,000 compared to a normal 15,000. I started chemotherapy the day after being admitted into the hospital and my life flipped upside down. I underwent 3 cycles of chemotherapy. During the first two cycles of chemo, I was unable to leave the hospital for 40 days. After my third cycle I received a bone marrow transplant. A donor from across the world who had similar DNA to me saved my life. The transplant left me in the hospital for another 40 days, and it took over a year for my body to recover and adjust to the transplant and its complications. During my fight, I lost 30 pounds as well all my hair and muscle. I was isolated in a hospital room for weeks at a time, and was unable to see family and friends. Now, over a year and a half after my transplant, I am back to being my energetic, athletic, happy self. I am so grateful to be alive and to have moved on from my battle with leukemia. Unfortunately, many patients are still fighting and they are the reason I am taking part in this amazing campaign.

We are running in honor of myself, as well as my friend Daniel Dreiling. Daniel is a middle schooler who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. He was living the normal life of a boy his age, playing sports and hanging with friends until he was diagnosed with cancer out of the blue. His treatment regimen is extremely harsh. He has been receiving chemo for over a year already and has suffered many complications including going into septic shock. He still has years of chemo ahead of him. As Daniel goes through his treatment, ​​​​​​​I know that any support he receives will help him continue to fight and keep a positive mindset. 

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Money raised helps LLS, the largest nonprofit dedicated to creating a world without blood cancers, advance initiatives like enacting policies that address the serious burdens of these diseases. Through their office of Public Policy and network of over 35,000 nationwide, LLS advocates in Washington for laws and policies that accelerate the development of new treatments for cancer and break down the barriers to care that patients often encounter, including advancing oral parity laws, ending surprise medical bills, and limit patients' out-of-pocket drug costs.

Through my fundraising, I want to touch, impact, and influence all the strong patients, families, doctors, nurses, other healthcare workers, and anyone else involved with blood cancer, because their hard work and never ending fight deserves infinite support. Any help that is going towards this cause which is so close to my heart means so so much to me. Thank you for any contribution you can make! 

Will Corry

Team for a Brighter Future

(310)808-7729

 williamjcorry@gmail.com