Dr. Meier and his family

After a casual Sunday morning run, Louie Meier did not feel right, he felt something was off. He felt short of breath and coughed persistently throughout his workout. This was alarming for the healthy Westminster ‘93 graduate who was accustomed to keeping up with his three sons’ active little league schedules. After a battery of tests, a CT scan revealed a mass in his chest and lymph nodes. Louie had a biopsy and was diagnosed with Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma, stage 2. Dr. Meier is an ER Physician in Chattanooga, so he understood the gravity of his diagnosis. Louie is currently undergoing chemotherapy in his fight with this crushing disease, and thankfully his prognosis is positive. 

Like Louie, a million other Americans fight a daily battle with horrible blood cancers. Leukemia and Lymphoma cause more deaths than any other cancer among children under the age of 20. Every 4 minutes another person unknowingly joins the fight. Our team of Westminster sophomores, the Cats Against Cancer/@wmscatsagainstcancer, were given the opportunity to join the battle and help those battling blood cancers. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) nominated us, Slater Fogle and Robert Hunter, as representatives in their annual Student Visionaries of the Year fundraising event. We are proud to lead a campaign team, and work towards our goal to raise $65,000 in the next 7 weeks - from January 8th to February 24th.

LLS is the largest donor to blood cancer research in the nation. Our team is honoring those like Dr. Meier who are battling blood cancers by raising money that will go directly to LLS in support of its longstanding mission to fund the research needed to screen for and find a cure for this disease. Along with our team, we will work diligently to increase research funding and awareness of the impact of blood cancers and the cutting-edge treatments that are currently in development, as well as inspire others to join the fight to find a cure

We appreciate Dr. Meier sharing his story and encouraging us in this endeavor. We have learned a lot about the diagnosis of the disease and treatment options. We hope that over the next year his journey results in a cure.

Sincerely, Robert Hunter and Slater Fogle 

2024 Student Visionaries of the Year Candidates

Visionaries look to the future—and see infinite possibility.
They challenge the status quo—and make the impossible possible.
They boldly imagine a better world – and lead the charge to create it.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society was built on that same vision - of a better world - one without blood cancers.

I am a visionary; I have a vision for a world without cancer, but I need your help.

This year, I’m proud to be a part of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Student Visionaries of the Year Campaign, working to raise as much as possible for LLS’s mission.

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.