Thank you so much for your interest in supporting LLS’s mission to cure blood cancer, not someday but today! Please note, online fundraising gifts made from this point forward will not impact the announcement of the 2018 local Student of the Year in the Charlotte, but your donation will still greatly impact LLS’s mission.

To vote for me, please visit https://soycharlotte2018.auction-bid.org/ and 'pledge' for me, Item Number 310. Voting will end when the auction closes on February 23, 2018. 

Hi my name is Luci Hinson, I am honored to have been accepted as a candidate in the 2018 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 competing on a team with two other highschool girls, Nicole Cristy and Robin Jackson. We are competing against students in the Charlotte area. Here is my story...

Many of you know my cousin, Levi Vetter. He is the strongest person I know and he is only 5. Levi has Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, diagnosed at age 3. The summer before Levi was diagnosed was truly a blessing because we spent time together every week. Not only being my cousin, he became my best friend. It was my first week back to school, that Wednesday my mom and dad received the news that would change everything....since it was our first week back they decided not to tell us until we arrived home from school that Friday afternoon. I remember my mom and dad calling Troy, Ivan, and myself  all into the living room. We all sat down. No one said anything. Then my dad said three words, “Levi has cancer.”  At the time it was like a million pieces fell out of my heart all at once. Before I received the news that same weekend, I was very excited because I thought was going to my grandmas house with Levi. The plans changed, instead of going to her house we went to the hospital. Walking into his hospital room I did not know what to expect. I remember walking in and seeing the same kid as I did before, nothing had changed, he was still Levi. I spent that morning in the hospital with him. Levi has his good and bad days, some are harder than others. He has been going through chemo for two of the three and a half year treatment plan. Watching Levi go through this for the past 2 years has not been easy. He has tough days, but through it all he remains the sweetest and happiest 5 year old I know. I always wonder, why Levi? How could it happen to someone so close to me? I definitely never saw this journey ahead for little Levi, but he has handled it better than I ever could have. He is the reason why I am running for this campaign. From the day he was diagnosed I wanted to take it all away, I wanted to take all of his pain away. But how could I? I couldn't, I could only support him and help him go through it. This campaign is my way of helping. Any dollar amount donated is going to make a difference, you never know which dollar is going to find the cure! Let's put Leukemia and Lymphoma to an end and help kids like Levi out! 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 I thank you for your support!

For more information about LLS, please visit www.lls.org 

Please take 5 minutes of your time and listen to Levi's family and their reaction when finding out Levi had Leukemia.  

The link to the video just in case this one does not work is... https://youtu.be/jsdhAEr1XXk

Thank you so much, 

Luci Hinson