When I was younger, I would spend every weekend and every summer at my grandparents house. I loved the farm, the animals, the smell of fresh baked goodies, and most of all my family. The house was never quiet, my grandparents always had a full house. My grandparents were two different people. My grandma was kind, loving, and gentle, and my grandpa was stubborn, rough around the edges, and always had to be doing something. Although my grandpa was this way to many people, he showed his love for his family in his own way. The biggest example of this was dinner time. He would always make sure everyone had a plate, and a spot to sit. Each of us kids fought for a spot next to Popo. At the end of every prayer, instead of traditional endings he would say "jump the fence and run". Its the little things like that that I remember about him. 

He was a very stubborn man. In his eyes, nothing was done right unless he did it. I worked with him on the farm, and he taught me a lot of the lessons that I use today. I looked up to him as a role model. During my sophomore year, I would call him everday at lunch and check on him. We would talk about everything from my classes to the weather. Although our lunch conversations were short, I know they meant a lot to him, and I looked forward to lunch everyday. 

My grandpa was the strongest man I knew and heres why. In 2004 he was diagnosed with Lymphoma. He battled his cancer for 12 years, with a remission period between 2012 and 2015. Between him working on the farm and hauling hay, he was trialing drugs and doing testing with doctors in Austin and Houston. In 2015 he was rediagnosed with Leukemia due to his chemotherapy. He was treated at MD Anderson in Houston, Texas Oncology in Austin, as well as local hospitals and emergency rooms in his area. My mom and I took many 24 hour trips with him. I remember waking up at 5 in the morning to drive to his appointments in Houston, and then turn around at 10 pm to go back to go home. In early September 2017 the doctors told us there was nothing more they could do for him. He passed away on September 19, 2017.

When I was nominated to run as a candidate for the 2020 Students of the Year Program, I took the opportunity to run in his honor. The Students of the Year program is 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. 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. I am proud to be a part of this campaign, and having a reason to fight makes this mission so much more meaningful. 

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.

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.

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

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

My grandpa and I in 2005.