Thank you to everyone who has supported us so far! Today is world cancer day! My team wants to raise as much as possible today in honor of world cancer day! Every donation and share is a world closer to no blood cancers! 

It's now the start of week 1! I am so thankful for everyone who has donated so far to my team and me. Your donations are making a change in the lives of many patients and families. LLS has helped advance 31 of 37 blood cancer treatments approved by the FDA in 2017 and 2018 alone. Revolutionary approaches for blood cancer are now being tested in clinical trials with other cancers and diseases including bone cancer, brain cancer, breast cancer, diabetes, kidney cancer, liver cancer, lung cancer, lupus nephritis, melanoma, multiple sclerosis, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, stomach cancer, and skin cancer. My team, Stallions for a Cure, is so excited to embark on this journey and we're thrilled to keep you updated! 

Meaghan is a junior at Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart where she excels at all subjects but is
most passionate about literature and loves math and the sciences. She is the youngest of three,
Christopher (24) a PhD student at Duke, and Brian (20), a junior at University of Scranton. She is the
most awesome daughter to Mark and Maura Kilner.
Growing up Meaghan’s passions included ballet, Irish dance, playing the violin,
running track, swimming, reading, music, all things Broadway and Colorado.
In the summer of 2016 Meaghan had her most ambitious hike, the stiff climb,
ascending 2,000-ft. up beautiful Pine Creek canyon, to Cathedral Lake. Not for
the faint of heart the climb was a strenuous 5.6 miles round trip. Four months
later she competed in Baltimore in the Southern Region Oirechtas for Irish
Dance winning a spot to compete at Nationals. One month later, January 27,
2017 Meaghan was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma Stage 2A Bulky with a
13 cm tumor over her heart and a necklace of tumors in her neck.
Meaghan was treated at Johns Hopkins enduring 4 cycles of chemotherapy lasting 21 days each.
Unfortunately, in October of 2017 her cancer had returned: Stage 2 Hodgkin Lymphoma near her left
armpit and collarbone. Meaghan was placed in a pediatric trial at Johns Hopkins. This was followed
by an in-patient stay for high dose chemo and an autologous stem cell transplant. Meaghan spent 25
days in-patient and another two months living in temporary housing in Baltimore to be close to Johns
Hopkins. She endured multiple surgeries for port placement and biopsies, CT and PET scans, and
multiple platelet and blood transfusions. Meaghan will continue to receive a total of 16 more rounds
of antibody chemo ending in March 2019.

Meaghan refuses to let cancer define her and has added advocacy
for the cure and care of pediatric cancers to the list of things she is
passionate about. Throughout her first diagnosis of cancer she
raised over $10,000.00 for the Light the Night Walk and then
participated in the SOY campaign, raising over $155,000.00 with her
teammates while undergoing treatment. She is a face for Just
TRYAN-It as well as a participant in CureFest because 4% is not
enough. Since kindergarten she has donated her hair three times to
make wigs for children undergoing treatment.

Meaghan looks forward to partnering with all the incredible Students of the Year candidates, team
members and parents on this mission to find a cure!

I am so excited that this campaign is beginning! I only have 7 weeks (January 10-March 2) to raise my goal of $5000. Throughout these 7 weeks, I hope I am able to bring my community closer together with my team through events. Anything that you are able to do whether it be donating or sharing this page will help my team and me tremendously. Every donation and share is one step closer to ending blood cancers! 

I am honored to participate in 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 be raising critical dollars in honor of a young patient hero who is currently battling or is in remission from blood cancer. Each dollar is a vote. The candidate team that raises the most money at the end of the seven weeks is named Student(s) 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. LLS has been able to donate over 1.2 billion dollars to help advance in research, therapies, and many other programs helpful for people and/or families dealing with blood cancers in their life. 

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.