As you may know - I have been raising money for Breast Cancer research since my own diagnosis almost 19 years ago.  This year my niece Hannah has asked me to join her in raising funds for a different kind of cancer.   I've agreed to participate as an honorary member of the team she's organized as part of the St. Johns College High School Leukemia and Lymphoma Society 2019 Students of the Year campaign - 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 did some research and then I said yes.  I said yes because...well, cancer.  I said yes because I've watched one young father lose his battle to leukemia in 2008, and another go through a grueling battle in 2017.   I said yes because of the incredible groundbreaking research that LLS has funded for blood cancers, which has created breakthrough advances in immunotherapy and genomics that are now helping patients in clinical trials with other cancers.  

The goal of the student of the year campaign is to not only raise money but also to simply bring attention to blood cancers like leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma and hodgkins in support of the LLS mission to cure blood cancers.

Here are five eye-opening facts to consider about blood cancers:

Over 170,000 people will be diagnosed with a blood cancer this year and 58,000 will die from their disease.

Because of advances in treatment, the five-year survival rates for many blood cancer patients have doubled, tripled or even quadrupled since the 1960's.

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society has funded over 400 institutions and 4,000 research projects with direct impact in 24 of 40 FDA-Apporved blood cancer drugs since 2000 and helped fund 15 of the 18 treatment approvals for patients in 2017.

Leukemia is the most common form of cancer in children and teens.

There are currently clinical trials using blood cancer research and treatment breakthroughs in Bone, Brain, Breast, Kidney, Liver, Lung, Melanoma, Ovarian, Pancreatic, Prostate and Stomach cancers.  

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 cancer patients everywhere, thank you for your support!

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