So many people battle blood cancers of all sorts. A very personal connection my family has is with a friend who suffered from Leukemia at a young age. John Lagouros was born in Greece and was diagnosed with Leukemia as a toddler. His family eventually migrated to the U.S., where he could receive needed treatment to combat his illness. Eventually, he was recommended a bone marrow transplant by his doctor. Due to the procedure's extreme expenses, the surrounding community gathered together along with John's family and friends to raise enough money for his transplant. John was sent to Sloan-Kettering hospital in New York, where he received his bone marrow transplant in an effort to save his life. Thankully, the treatment was extremely effective and John survived. He is now a healthy adult living a very happy life in Atlanta. Stories like John's display the importance of fundraising to help those affected by blood cancers.

As an organization, LLS devotes its time and effort into raising money for developing treatments for blood cancers and aiding in patient care to help families through their tough times. You can help people like John by supporting the mission of LLS and joining the cause! No donation is too small to make a change in the life of someone battling a blood cancer!

I am honored to participate in the 2019 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 be 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(s) 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.

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.

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.