Pillar: Patient Support

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Also visit our personal website https://www.curequestdallas.org/

Everyone has a personal connection to cancer - whether it is through a direct, personal experience, or working through that journey with a family member or friend.

I remember having my mom sit me down and tell me that my childhood best friend got diagnosed with Leukemia, and that friend was the LLS Honored Hero for last year's campaign, Aubrey Tillery.

I also remember sitting with my grandmother, who we called Mama, during her fight with cancer in the hospice center. We found out in April of 2021, and she was in her last days in May and passed in June. She was diagnosed with lung cancer which had spread to her brain. During this time, I was able to witness how steadfast her faith was. Religion, particularly Christianity, has always been something my family cares deeply about. She was someone who dedicated her whole life to helping others. She helped to set up a hospital in Uganda and helped advocate for the Pygmies to have a place to live after they were being persecuted and sent out by their government from the rainforest which they had lived in for centuries. While her story is not one of battling childhood cancer, her journey all the way until the end motivates me every day to push myself to help others and do exactly what our faith calls us to do.

Throughout our time at the hospice center, what really stuck with me was how graceful and gentle the staff were towards my family and me. I have a deep passion for music, particularly singing, and Mama had asked my cousin and me to sing for her, and eventually write a song, and the staff would always sit in and listen to us. The nurses who were caring for us were so kind and gave our family every option and resource they could to ensure that this journey, while devastating, was beautiful. This is why I am dedicated to Patient Support. I know what it can mean to have amazing resources and support available, and I hope through this I will raise awareness and facilitate that process. 

As a Student Visionary, my job is to build on the vision set by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to lead charge in creating a better world and making the impossible possible. 

As a team, we are continuing Hope Healing Cancer, a team led by Lauren Goin last year, and their legacy in the Second Annual Music Festival. We hope to see you there! This is an exciting opportunity to check out some great artists, some as student bands, and participate in this cause! We will have

1. 5 bands

2. Silent auction

3. Gift Card Wheel

4. Merch booth

5. Concessions

6. Speakers - those who have been personally diagnosed with Leukemia

Purchase your tickets here: https://www.prekindle.com/event/28341--dallas

Through Patient Support, LLS provides Free "One-on-One Support" such as:

    1. Information Specialists

   2. Clinical Trial Nurse Navigators

   3. Registered Dietitian

   4. Patient and Caregiver Support and Counseling

They also connect with various businesses within communities, utilizing establishments such as Walgreens to provide community support. 

To learn more, please visit their website concerning this pillar: LLS Patient Support

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.