Dear Friends and Family,

 We are excited to announce that we have been nominated as co-candidates for the 2020 Student of the Year Campaign in support of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). We accepted the nomination after learning 46 of the fifty 53 FDA approved treatments since 2017 were a result of blood cancer research through LLS. LLS funded more than 60% of the blood cancer therapies being used to treat other cancers and serious diseases including, Breast Cancer. 

 Our grandmother, Melody Merck, was first diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 48, when we were 3 years old. We were too young at the time to know exactly what that meant, other than grandma was sick. We were lucky and our grandma beat cancer and went into remission. She bought us our first ponies, Muffin and SpongeBob, and taught us how to ride. Our best memories include spending all our time riding our ponies, having grandma take us to parades with our ponies as the “Rhinestone Cowgirls” and just sitting in the house watching “The Saddle Club or Flicka” repeatedly. Even when we got in trouble for running the ponies too hard and had to put them away, we always knew Grandma still loved us and would always have our backs. 

The week before we started our freshman year of high school, Grandpa came to visit each of our moms with tears in his eyes. We will never forget that day. Not only was her breast cancer back but it had metastasized to multiple parts of her body. There has never been a worse feeling than that moment. Our grandma is a fighter though and refuses to let cancer win. Even though she doesn’t always feel the best she still travels to state swim meets to watch me (Jaedyn) swim and fairs to watch me (Haley) show animals.  

We are fighters just like our grandma so when we heard the LLS slogan “Beating Cancer is in Our Blood” we knew this was a mission we were meant to be part of. 

By raising funds for LLS we honor patients like our grandmother Melody, so that one day others won't have to go through what we have experienced. We are asking for your help to reach our team fundraising goal of 50,000. Meeting this goal will allow us to have a research grant dedicated in our grandmother’s name through LLS. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation! Our campaign kicks off January 23, 2020 through March 13, 2020.

• You can make a donation in any amount and mail a check payable to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to: 2658 Quincy Ave, Clovis, CA 93619. Or 2274 George St, Dos Palos, CA, 93620. Please note: Team Cousins With A Cause in the memo section of the check. 
• You can also make an online donation by clicking "Donate Now".

We want to thank you in advance for supporting this incredible need. We will keep you updated as the campaign goes on, and we are very grateful for your support. 

Sincerely, 

Jaedyn Davies & Haley VanWorth