Hi, my name is Jay Cranford, I am a junior at Riverside High School in Durham, NC.  I am a Student Visionaire for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society this year. The LLS aims to build on the vision of a better world without blood cancers. To reach this vision, the LLS and I need your help. 

I have decided to join the Student Visionaries of the Year campaign in honor of my Granny, Kylie Cranford, a 2018 survivor of non-Hodgkins lymphoma. My Granny has talked about the things she thought helped her do so well with her battle with lymphoma were having a good support network, experienced doctors, and good follow-ups after her chemotherapy and lymph gland surgery. I want to help give others the same chances she got from having the right treatments and knowledgeable doctors so that they can thrive afterward their treatments just like my Granny was able to.

For my campaign, I aim to raise $60,000, which will go toward the research pillar of blood cancers. Since 2017, LLS has helped advance 85% of FDA-approved treatments for blood cancers. In 2020 alone, there were 14 different treatments. Those are great numbers, especially knowing that years ago, we were lucky to have one new treatment within a year. What is also great to know is that our blood cancer research and treatments lead to advances for other cancers and other serious diseases as well.

LLS doesn't just raise funds for research. We have three mission pillars: Research, Patient Education & Support, and Policy & Advocacy. We fund these mission pillars through:

• Funding cutting-edge research leading to breakthroughs in immunotherapy, genomics, and personalized medicine that are improving and saving the lives of patients
• Providing 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.
• Mobilizing thousands of advocates to drive policy changes that accelerate the development of new cancer treatments and break down barriers to care.

Please consider joining me and LLS in this fight by making a tax-deductible donation.  All donations are greatly appreciated. Please visit my website often and share with your friends who might also like to donate!

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

On behalf of blood cancer patients everywhere, thank you!

- Jay Cranford

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