Thank you so much for your interest in supporting the mission of LLS!  Please note, gifts made on this page after 5:00pm on Thursday, April 11th, 2024 will not be counted towards the competition for the 2024 Triangle Student Visionaries of the Year. To make a gift that will be credited to your candidate’s competition total after 5:00pm on Thursday, April 11th, please visit https://e.givesmart.com/events/Bte/i/ 

Today, more than a million Americans are fighting a daily battle with blood cancers and every 4 minutes another person unwillingly joins the fight. While each story is moving, my cousin Kynslee Payne’s experience with lymphoma serves as an example of the need for more research and treatment options for blood cancers. Kynslee, who preferred to be called “Princess Kynslee”, was diagnosed at age two with Large B Cell Lymphoma. She underwent many rounds of grueling chemotherapy and eventually had a bone marrow transplant. Watching her struggle to be a normal toddler is something I will never forget. During a family outing at the lake in 2018, I remember watching Kynslee enjoy the boating and camping experience, but I also remember how weak she was and how hard it was for her to breathe. It was heartbreaking to watch, but that was also the day that made me decide to take action and make finding a cure for leukemia and lymphoma my passion and purpose. It is that unwavering passion and purpose that has led me to participate in this campaign in memory of Kynslee. Sadly, on November 20, 2018, at the age of three, Kynslee passed away from complications of lymphoma. Kynslee deserved to live a normal life free of cancer and it’s my hope that no other family has to endure the same loss and heartbreak that Kynslee’s family has faced. I am honoring those who have battled blood cancers and raising money that will go directly to LLS in support of its longstanding mission to find a cure and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Along with my team, I will work to increase awareness about the impact of blood cancers and the cutting-edge treatments that are currently being researched, as well as inspire others to join the fight to find a cure.

Visionaries look to the future—and see infinite possibility.
They challenge the status quo—and make the impossible possible.
They boldly imagine a better world – and lead the charge to create it.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society was built on that same vision - of a better world - one without blood cancers.

I am a visionary; I have a vision for a world without cancer, but I need your help.

This year, I’m proud to be a part of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Student Visionaries of the Year Campaign, working to raise as much as possible for LLS’s mission.

As a global leader in the fight against blood cancer, LLS:

• Funds cutting-edge research leading to breakthroughs in immunotherapy, genomics and personalized medicine that are improving and saving the lives of patients
• Provides free education and support for blood cancer patients and families, including personalized, one-on-one support, assistance with identifying and enrolling in clinical trials, and more.
• Mobilizes thousands of advocates to drive policy changes that accelerate the development of new cancer treatments and break down barriers to care.

Please consider joining this fight by making a donation. All donations are greatly appreciated and tax-deductible. Please visit my website often and tell friends who would also like to donate!

Thanks to your support, my efforts will help ensure this generation is the last to see cancer.

On behalf of blood cancer patients everywhere, thank you!

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