When I was first introduced to the Leukemia and Lymphoma society by a friend, I was intrigued because it seemed like a cause I definitely wanted to support. My whole life I've seen loved ones fight against this disease and I know first hand just what it does to not only the patients but the families of those patients as well. My first close encounter was with Blood Cancer, when a close friend of mine, Olivia, was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in 2018. AML for Olivia appeared out of the blue, it was a cancer that rapidly progressed, and one of the hardest ones to cure. I saw as the bright and radiant Olivia I once knew started being tired all the time, with bruises all over her arms and legs. 6 months after Olivia had achieved remission, a relapse occured, where we sadly lost Olivia to this deadly disease in late 2019. Today, Olivia's legacy lives through her sister Raegan, who is planning on studying oncology, and helping to find a cure for this disease. Similarly, in the summer of 2019, my grandmother was diagnosed with Liver Cancer. She had always been a strong woman, fighting diabetes for years while still leading our family and never complaining. She had just traveled overseas when she started feeling sick, so she came home to the United States where doctors gave us news of how much the cancer had spread and the infections that were spreading as well. I remember seeing as she grew weaker each day and how she craved all the foods the doctors told her not to eat. If I could go back, I'd definitely give her all her favorite foods one last time. One night I woke up to ambulance sirens out in my driveway and my mom telling me that they had to run to the hospital real quick. That day would be the last time I saw my grandmother, she went into a coma and a few days later, was taken off of life support. The fight against cancer is very personal to me and to all those I care about! There are countless families like Olivia's where young children are unexpectedly suffering with cancer, and countless more where strong adults lose their hope in the fight against this disease. My mission is to bring hope to all those families, and to let them know that someone is fighting, and that money is being raised and new research is done every single day! This is why LLS is so important to me, so we can help all those families out there in need of just a little more hope.

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.