My name is Noah Borowski and I am a sophmore at Riverside High School. 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’ mission. My family has been connected to LLS for many years and it started with my little sister's cancer diagnosis.

My sister, Ella, was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia when she was just 6 years old. AML is an extremely aggressive and rare leukemia; only 500 kids in the US are diagnosed with AML each year, and 1 in 2 children will relapse. I was terrified listening to the doctors tell us about treatment options, which are outdated and carry many risks and long-term consequences. She handled treatment as well as could be expected and got into remission quickly. We’ve since learned that remission is fragile. A year out from finishing her treatment, we received the devastating news that Ella had relapsed. This time, treatment would include the harshest of chemo that would annihilate her immune system and require a bone marrow transplant. 

Luckily for Ella, I was a perfect match and was able to donate my marrow. At 10 years old, I went under anesthesia to have some of my bone marrow removed in hopes that it would cure Ella.  Fortunately, her transplant was successful and she remains in remission still, more than 5 years later. The road to get here was long and terrifying, and 80% of children diagnosed with leukemia have long term health effects, so her journey is far from certain. Ella received 114 chemo infusions, 41 blood and platelet transfusions, had 5 surgeries, had her immune system decimated 5 times and completely replaced once, and has spent about 200 nights in the hospital. She has suffered fevers, blood infections, rashes, biopsies, mucositis, allergic reactions, losing her hair twice, and has endured hundreds of pokes, tests, and procedures, all before the age of 8.

As you know, everyone wins when cancer loses. Thanks to your support, our efforts will help fund therapies and treatments that are saving lives. Over the years, support from people like you has been responsible for the blood cancer advancements that have doubled, tripled, and in some cases quadrupled the survival rate for some blood cancers.

 Many LLS supported therapies not only help blood cancer patients but are also now used to treat patients with rare forms of stomach and skin cancers and are in clinical trials for patients with lung, brain, breast, pancreatic and prostate cancers. And LLS funded drugs like targeted therapies and immunotherapies are now saving thousands of lives every day.

We truly are getting close to our goal of a world without blood cancers!

All donations are greatly appreciated and tax-deductible. They'll not only support LLS research, but patient services, advocacy, public and professional education, and community services as well.

Please visit my website often and tell 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