I want to give a HUGE thank you to SASS STUDIOS and KIM DOW for sponsoring our campaign. I was able to have the amazing opportunity to have an article written about me and the campaign! 

Check out my article here! 

Woman To Watch :: Aleesha Bora - Sass Magazine 

Today we partnered with team Clawing for a Cure to raise awareness and funds for LLS at the Oakdale High School Vs Thomas Johnson Patriots Basketball game! We hosted a half court shot contest and it was so fun to meet other participants and raise awareness for the mission! Huge thanks to team Clawing for a Cure for reaching out to us!

Each year our campaign recognizes and fundraises in honor of a special local patient. This year our honored hero is 14 year old Brandon Hong from Middletown High school.

Brandon is an ALL (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia) survivor. He was just 11 years old when he was diagnosed in 2019. This was especially hard on Brandon’s Mom Alice, who already had once child suffer through cancer treatment. Adventurous and active, Brandon could not attend his middle school year isolated in part due to the Covid-19 pandemic. After 3 years of aggressive chemotherapy, Brandon was we able to ring the bell earlier this year and he is now back in the classroom enjoying life as a healthy teenager!

Brandon and his story continues to inspire our team every day. With your support, we can help find a cure for blood cancer and make sure that people like Brandon, are not alone in their fight against cancer. 

 On January 12th of last year, Natalie McMaster passed away   peacefully after a 6 1/2 year battle with Acute Lymphoblastic   Leukemia (ALL).

"Natalie, had a smile that could light up a room. Throughout Natalie’s cancer journey, she continued to smile despite all the pain. Natalie was simply amazing, and people are better because they knew her. She cared so much for others, and everyone loved to be around her.  It became a “thing,” in the hospital that all the nurses would fight to care for Natalie during their shift, when they saw her name on the chart. She had a magnetic personality."

Natalie graduated from Thomas Johnson High School in 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, while also battling cancer.  Natalie played softball and field hockey for the Patriots and was a member of the National Honor Society. Natalie was accepted to Kutztown University, and had planned to attend there, after taking a gap year to get healthier.  

"Natalie was still talking about what she would need to pack “when she goes to college,” not “if she goes to college.” She never gave up. Even though she was sick, Natalie still did everything she could to continue doing the things she loved, like playing softball, going to the beach, and hanging out with her friends. She loved tailgating, going on vacation, boat rides, and playing games.  She couldn’t get enough Maryland hard shell crabs, listening to music, and shopping."

An important of our campaign we focus on is putting stories of local patients into the spotlight. Natalie McMaster had such an impact on so many people, including the GTJHS community. She continues to inspire our fight against cancer every single day.