Hello, My name is Ryan Brady, I am 16 years old and I am a Junior at Notre Dame High School in West Haven, CT. 

I am honored to participate as a team member for the 2020 Students of the Year 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. I am proud to support my candidate and am raising critical dollars in honor of a young patient hero who is currently battling or is in remission from a blood cancer. Each dollar is a vote. The candidate team that raises the most money at the end of the seven weeks is named Student of the Year. Our mission is to not only raise the most money but also to bring attention to blood cancers like leukemia, which is the most common form of cancer in children and teens.

It’s an honor to be a part of such an outstanding group of fellow students, but an even larger honor to be able to work for the patients, survivors and their families. I am lucky enough to not have any family members or friends who have died from any kind of blood cancer. The reason why I am fundraising is that as I have gone into high school I have found that I am very much into community service and helping others who need help and by doing this I can help so many people who need help. 

Since the early 1960s, five-year survival rates for many blood cancer patients have doubled, tripled or even quadrupled. And 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. LLS’s work is changing the lives of 1.3 million Americans living with blood cancer. To learn more about why this cause is so important to me, watch THIS VIDEO

We really are changing the face of blood cancer!

All donations are greatly appreciated and are tax-deductible. They'll not only support LLS-funded research but will help provide critical information and support for patients, and support advocacy for laws to ensure patients can access the care and treatments they need.

My personal goal is to raise $25,000 between January 30th and March 19th. It’s a lofty goal, but I am willing to work hard to reach it. Not only is this campaign a great way to support LLS and their life-saving work, but it’s a great leadership opportunity for me. Students receive scholarships based on our fundraising and awareness efforts. I am so excited to be able to make a difference in my community in this way.

I can’t wait to share the exciting updates of the next seven weeks with you. Stay tuned to see what my team and I are able to accomplish! 
 

Please visit our website often and bring friends who would also like to donate!

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

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