When I was two and a half years old, I was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). For three and a half years, my life was interrupted with a cancer treatment protocol that involved numerous hospital stays, invasive procedures, and daily chemotherapy which weakened my immune system. My childhood was turned upside down as I had to be isolated from other people since a common cold could have put me in the emergency room. Fortunately, my mother, a stay at home mom at the time, could take me to most of my chemotherapy treatments. Her and my father’s care and bravery during a time where it was hard to look at the bright side of things makes me feel extremely blessed, and it inspired me to bring attention to the struggles of families that had a life changing experience similar to mine. Without the support and knowledge provided by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), we would have been lost and unable to navigate this unexpected change in our lives.

I am excited to share with you that I am a candidate leader for the 2025 Austin Student Visionaries of the Year Program, a unique philanthropic leadership program where high school students like me could create a fundraising team and raise money to fund blood cancer research. The money raised will provide support to the critical work of LLS in hopes that one day no one will have to grow up without the ones they love. I know that with your donation, my team Relentless for Josh can reach our goal of raising $5,000 during the seven-week campaign beginning January 10, 2025 - March 1, 2025. Our candidate team is particularly passionate about Patient Support and will be representing this area of LLS during my campaign.

As a global leader in the fight against blood cancer, LLS:

• Funds cutting-edge research leading to breakthroughs in immunotherapy, genomics and personalized medicine that are improving and saving the lives of patients
• Provides free education and support for blood cancer patients and families, including personalized, one-on-one support, assistance with identifying and enrolling in clinical trials, and more.
• Mobilizes thousands of advocates to drive policy changes that accelerate the development of new cancer treatments and break down barriers to care.

Please consider joining this fight by making a donation. All donations are greatly appreciated and tax-deductible. Please visit my website often and tell friends who would also like to donate!

Thanks to your support, my efforts will help ensure this generation is the last to see cancer.

On behalf of blood cancer patients everywhere, thank you!

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