I had the privilege of being nominated as a candidate for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) 2024 New York City Student Visionaries of the Year campaign.

Student Visionaries of the Year is a seven-week leadership development program that runs from January 26th to March 15th  to raise money to help blood cancer patients not only survive but thrive after treatment.  I am writing today to ask for your support of my campaign and LLS’s mission to find a cure for blood cancers and improve the quality of life for patients. 

Growing up with my father being a hematologist oncologist and my mother an infectious diseases expert focused on blood cancer and stem cell transplants, I’ve learned the huge impact that cancer has on people’s lives. Whether it be dinner conversations or overhearing my parents on a work call, I always found interest in the topic of cancer. As a child, I remember participating in walks and 5ks with my family to raise awareness and money for blood cancer research. 

As I got older, I was able to get a better understanding of the science behind cancer such as why cancer occurs and how research plays a role in treating cancer patients. I then began questioning what I could do myself to help besides educating myself on the topic. I was first introduced to Student Visionaries of the Year by my sister who took part in the campaign in 2018. At the time, I was too young to be a part of her team, so I decided that when I’m in high school I would like the opportunity to do the same thing. So here I stand today as a candidate for the Student Visionaries of the Year Campaign with my mission pillar being research in hopes that I can make an impact on the lives of cancer patients. Approximately, 30% of blood cancer patients do not survive five years after their diagnosis. By raising money for research, technology and drugs can advance directly increasing cancer survival rates.

I have created a team of committed friends and family to partner with me on this journey. Together, we have set a fundraising goal of $100,000!  The money raised helps LLS, the largest nonprofit dedicated to creating a world without blood cancers, fund research to advance lifesaving treatments, drive advocacy for policies that protect patient access to these treatments, and provide patients and families with hope, guidance, education, and support. Our candidate team is particularly passionate about research and will be representing this area of LLS during my campaign.

LLS funds the most promising blood cancer research across the globe and forges collaborations to accelerate new discoveries, treatments, and cures. With a more than 70-year track record, LLS has supported virtually every advancement in blood cancer treatment – including approaches once thought impossible. LLS has invested more than $1.5 billion in cancer research since 1949, leading to breakthroughs in immunotherapy, genomics, and personalized medicine that are improving and saving patients’ lives.

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.

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.