Hello, my name is Laney Riesett. I have signed up to save lives with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) and am working to raise as much as possible over the next 7 weeks. 
 
As you know, everyone wins when cancer loses. Thanks to your support, my efforts will help fund therapies and treatments that are saving lives. Over the years, support from people like you has been responsible for the blood cancer advancements that have doubled, tripled, and in some cases quadrupled the survival rate for some blood cancers.
 
Many LLS-supported therapies not only help blood cancer patients but are also now used to treat patients with rare forms of stomach and skin cancers and are in clinical trials for patients with lung, brain, breast, pancreatic and prostate cancers. And LLS-funded drugs like targeted therapies and immunotherapies are now saving thousands of lives every day.
 
We really are getting close to our goal of a world without blood cancers!

As to my why, I first joined the campaign simply because I wanted to help people. However, my aunt was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and after talking to her, I realized how important a campaign like this truly is. Thanks to the research that has already been done, the type of cancer that my aunt was diagnosed with has been made curable in only the last four years. Not only has research made it so her cancer is curable, but it has also found ways to reduce the symptoms of going through chemo. The type of chemo she has to receive unfortunately comes with symptoms such as mouth sores and neuropathy in her hands and feet. Through funded research, it has been found that wearing cold-infused slippers and mittens, as well as chewing ice while the chemo is being administered, can prevent her from going through such terrible symptoms on top of the cancer she already has to deal with. Also, due the money that has been alocated towards genetic testing, I can be aware of hereditary risks for myself as well as other family members. That is why this campaign is so important to me. The money we raise now could possibly fund research which could then lead to curing more and more types of cancers, just like my aunt's. It could help so many people, not only those diagnosed, but their friends and family as well.
 
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