Our names are Misbah, Trishna and Aanya, and we are honored to be candidates for The Leukemia Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Students of the Year Campaign. Leukemia is a cancer that affects the body's blood-forming cells in the bone marrow and lymphatic system. Every day, close to 170 Americans are diagnosed with this fatal disease. We want to honor those who have battled blood cancers by working to increase awareness, as well as raising money to fund further research. All donations go directly to LLS, the foremost cancer research center in the country. Today, we’re hoping you will join the fight and help us achieve our ambitious goal. Our team strives to raise a total of $15,000 over the course of seven weeks. We want to avoid future suffering and be part of the team that defeats cancer once and for all. Our mission is to create a society where leukemia patients can make a full recovery and where a cancer diagnosis is no longer a death sentence.             

Throughout our lives, we have experienced the devastation of cancer from a young age. Misbah’s mother works as a physician, and she’s seen firsthand the severe impacts that cancer has on patients and their loved ones. She works with cancer survivors who still need monitoring despite being in remission. A cancer diagnosis changes their lives forever.   

Aanya has seen firsthand what living with no cure is like. Her cousin, Ja Dev, who lives in India, has a neurological disorder known as Cerebral Palsy. Currently he is 7 years old, and while he goes to physiotherapy, he is unable to walk and talk. Living thousands of miles away is hard for her, but the support of organizations like LLS makes it easier. They work towards supporting people going through the unimaginable, people like Ja Dev, and give us hope!  

As we become aware of the tragic situations that countless families experience, we struggle to put ourselves in their place. Reading Toben’s story on the LLS website really hit home for Trishna. Toben is a nine-year-old boy whose entire life was turned upside down after his Leukemia diagnosis. Everything changed for him and his family, physically, mentally, and emotionally during his battle with cancer. Luckily, Toben has now been cancer-free for over two years. Reading Toben’s story brought tears to Trishna’s eyes. It immediately made her think of her younger brother. We cannot even begin to fathom what this family has gone through. Donations like yours will further research on blood cancers and will give us a chance to ease the suffering of children like Toben.                                       

  Every donation, big or small, can have a life changing impact on a cancer patient. Through your contributions, you can give a cancer patient a try at a clinical trial, help them afford treatment, and/or give them access to a cancer support group.

All donations are greatly appreciated and tax-deductible. They'll not only support LLS research, but patient services, advocacy, public and professional education, and community services as well.
 
Please visit my website often and tell 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