Rachel Scott is a 15-year-old freshman student at Little Axe High School. She is in the completion phase of a 3 year battle with Leukemia. Rachel is full blood Native American, and as a member of the Chickasaw tribe, Rachel is very active in Native American pow wows and other celebrations. Rachel was selected as the 2011-2012 Little Miss Indian Oklahoma City and performed at many functions across the country. As a child of a Baptist pastor, Rachel also attends many church activities, and has taught herself to play several songs on the piano. In the summer of 2011, Rachel accepted Christ into her life at Indian Falls Creek church camp in Davis, Oklahoma.

On January 12, 2016, Rachel was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) at the Jimmy Everest Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases in Children located at Children’s Hospital in Oklahoma City. Rachel has endured many spinal taps, bone marrow aspirations, hospital stays, doctor visits and other medical procedures over the past 3 years. Rachel missed half of sixth grade and most of seventh grade due to her battle. At the midpoint of her treatment plan, Rachel had lost about 35 pounds and was confined to a wheelchair. She required assistance with every aspect of her life and was fitted with a feeding tube. Throughout Rachel’s fight with Leukemia, she has never complained and never asked why she must endure this challenge. Rachel has decided to help others who are going through similar battles and she has had a positive effect on many. Rachel has a smile that is contagious and she has learned how to be an encouragement to children and adults.

Rachel is now in school full time where she is a varsity cheerleader, a member of show choir, a girls basketball team manager, and on the student council. In her first semester of high school, she has earned all A’s and one B. Rachel’s future plans include going to college and becoming a pediatrician, so she can help other children. Winning Student of the Year would mean so much to Rachel, and the scholarship award would be a great help in paying for medical school. Thank you for your consideration!

I am honored to participate as a team member for the 2019 Students of the Year program, a seven-week initiative in which select high school students from around the country participate in a fundraising competition to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I am proud to support my candidate and am raising critical dollars in honor of a young patient hero who is currently battling or is in remission from a blood cancer. Each dollar is a vote. The candidate team that raises the most money at the end of the seven weeks is named Student of the Year. Our 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.

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.

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.

Please visit our website often and bring 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.