If you would like to learn more about my story with cancer and why I chose work with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society by participating in Students of the Year, please watch the attached video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcHIZkU3BnI&feature=youtu.be 

In September of 2018, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to go to New York City with other cancer patients and medical representatives from all around the country for one week, thanks to Sunshine Kids, an organization that takes cancer patients on trips all around the country. Patients and their med reps came from San Diego, Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, and North Dakota for the trip. 

At first, I was a little nervous. I thought it was going to be super awkward, for I didn't know anyone prior to the trip--not even the other patients from Chicago. However, as the trip went on, all of us grew tremendously close. We were all able to have a really great time in New York City, whether it was watching different musicals, seeing different tourist attractions, eating some great food, or just walking the streets of the city.

Until that trip, I had always felt kind of alone. Even though I had a lot of friends and family supporting me in my fight, I had no one to relate to. No one knew how different medicines made me feel, and no one could directly relate to me. Once I started to talk to other kids however, I was struck by how much all of us had in common. A lot of us were taking the same medicines, feeling the same ways, thinking the same thoughts. It blew my mind how all of us were going through similar situations. Suddenly, I wasn't so nervous, and I wasn't feeling so alone.

By hearing other kids' stories, I was able to truly see what cancer had done to so many brilliant souls and their families. None of us should have had to see the things we saw. However, the unfortunate reality of today is that kids like us--and many other people--have to face cancer on a daily basis.

It was at that moment that I decided I was going to do everything in my power to work towards a cancer-free future. When I heard about Students of the Year and how I would have the opportunity to contribute to such an influential and important group that helps fight all cancers in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, I knew I couldn't pass it up. I wanted to raise as much money as possibe to make sure that one day, no one would have to go through what my friends and I had to go through.

Please donate today, and spread the word to help my teammates and me raise as much money as possible for cancer patients and their families! If you have any questions, please email me at mokadiri01@gmail.com. Together, we can work towards a cancer-free future!

From the second I was diagnosed with T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, I knew that my life would never be the same for many reasons. As my treatment continued and I got healthier, I began to realize that, as a survivor, I had an obligation to give back to the same community that helped me when I was in the thick of my fight: I had an obligation to help other cancer patients. While no one deserves to have to fight cancer in any way, the unfortunate reality is a lot of people do. Chances are, the reader of this post has been affected by cancer in some sort of way, whether it be a loved one, family member, friend,etc.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Students of the Year campaign is the first opportunity I will have to raise as much money as I can for a group that does all it can for all cancer patients--not just ones with leukemia or lymphoma. I want to make it very clear that my intention is not to win some sort of prize. This is an obligation for me; I have to help other cancer patients and their families that went through what my family and I had to go through. So please, donate to help our cause, and spread the word about what I am trying to do and get your loved ones to donate today!

Thank you,

Mohammed Kadiri

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.