Students of the Year Triad
Leanna Bernish | Making Cancer Feel the Bern
Welcome to Leanna Bernish's SOY Fundraising Page!
I am honored to participate as a candidate for the 2019 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 proud to work with my team and am raising critical dollars in honor of our Honored Hero, Christa Hill, who is in remission from acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and my grandfather, Bill "Wild Bill" Bernish, who passed way in 2014 from complications of MDS. Each dollar counts. The candidate team that raises the most money at the end of the seven weeks is named Student of the Year. Our mission is to not only raise the most money but also to bring attention to blood cancers like leukemia, which is the most common form of cancer in children and teens.
Since the early 1960s, five-year survival rates for many blood cancer patients have doubled, tripled or even quadrupled. And many LLS supported therapies not only help blood cancer patients but are helping patients with other cancers and serious diseases. In fact, drugs first approved for blood cancers are now approved to treat patients with stomach cancers, skin cancers, and autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis.
We really are changing the face of blood cancer!
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, thank you for your support!
For more information about LLS, please visit www.lls.org.
------------------------------
I lost my grandfather, Bill “Wild Bill” Bernish to complications from MDS in March of 2014.
My grandfather’s passing was sudden, his skies had seemed to be filling with balloons and seashells again. One night, he and my grandmother had been dog-sitting for us, and my mom and I had gone to pick her up. When we were saying goodbye for the night, he told me he loved me. Of course, I knew my papa loved me, but these three words were coming from the man who would eat fried eggs on his burgers, drink black coffee, and tell me that pretzels with cheese was "un-American." I'd heard him say it before; it wasn't the first time, but a feeling washed over me in that moment that this time it was indispensable. That was the last time I spoke to my grandfather.
Loss and grief can do many things to a person, many of them ugly, some beautiful. Death is a part of life, but it is never easy to cope with. It's been almost five years since he passed away. I still find myself thinking that he can't really be gone. I find myself wishing I could show him my latest painting or music that I'm listening to. "That's really neat," he'd say. With continued research and funding, I can help other young kids get a few more weeks, months, even years with their loved ones. A few more memories of watching Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives on the couch. A few more shared books and talks of Doctor Who. A few more compliments of "You look sharp," when wearing a cute outfit. Leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, and Hodgkin’s disease continue to fight with great strength, but they are weakening, and we can fight harder.
9 Comments
Jeanne Bernish
Leanna Bernish, Make Cancer Feel the Bern, in the memory of Bill Bernish.
Patricia Cocke
Love and hugs as we remember your grandfather, Bill Bernish. May his memory move you forward to accomplish great things in your life.
Noah
Good luck Leanna from your friend Noah!
Brooke Barnard
Thanks for your efforts to raise money for this important cause! Keep up the good work!
Cara Everett
Go Leanna!love your passion!
Kathryn Bernish-Fisher
I’m so proud of you, Leanna!
ann bartley
For my brother, Jay Hartsock.
Jasmine Marshall
I donated to this cause because Leanna's story about her grandfather really touched me. Grandparents are precious and I know how hard it can be to lose them.
Deirdre Donat
Best of luck in your fundraising efforts from a member of LLS Tram in Training on Long Island