Dear friends and family,

I am honored and excited to announce that I am a candidate for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society “Students of the Year” campaign. The program is a seven-week initiative in which select high school students from the Greater Cleveland area participate in a fundraising competition in the hopes of finding a cure for patients with blood cancer. The campaign runs from January 26, 2019 to March 15, 2019. My team “Rise Up for LLS” and I are determined to surpass our initial fundraising goal, in hopes of being one step closer to finding a cure!

As a junior at Magnificat High School, I am a member of Student Council, a Link Crew Leader, a member of The Speech and Debate Team, and an honors student. Outside of school, all-star competitive cheer is one of my passions. In May 2018, my team came in 4th place at the National Competition at Walt Disney World's ESPN Center. Another important aspect of my life is volunteering and staying active with organizations who have helped me during my cancer journey, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is one of those organizations.

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) has always been close to my heart. I was diagnosed with Leukemia in September 2004 at the age of 2 ½, and completed my treatment a little over 2 years later. At 2 ½ I found myself in the hospital and didn't know or understand why because I didn’t feel sick. I am proud to say that a little over 12 years after completing my treatment, I am happy, healthy and cancer free! LLS helped me and my family in so many ways during my treatment. LLS is able to support families through financial assistance, online discussion boards, education, and most importantly, research to find a cure. Now, LLS provides a platform for me to speak, volunteer, help raise funds, and be a part of this incredible campaign.

This year, "Students of the Year" is raising funds in honor of Jane, a local blood cancer survivor. On October 9, 2015, Jane woke up with a lump on her neck that continued to grow throughout the day. Later, an x-ray showed that she had a mass and was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. She was rushed to the Cleveland Clinic where she immediately started chemo. Despite a relapse, fertility treatment, radiation, and a stem cell transplant, Jane has been in remission since December 2016! 

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. 

Like The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, I believe that beating cancer is in our blood. I invite you to stand with me and join my fight! My 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. 

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

Your efforts to raise funds to continue the fight are impressive and impactful. This will lead toward more people like me who are able to stand up and say thank you for having a part in saving my life. 

Sincerely, Claire Martin