Welcome family, friends, mutual friends, and more! :)) I would just like to start off by personally thanking you for taking the time out of your day to help support this endeavor of mine. Just reading this and visiting my website means so much to me and whether you choose to donate or not, words cannot express how appreciative I am. 

A little bit about me! My name is Isabela Tuazon and I am a co-candidate of Project: Hope. I am so fortunate to be a part of this amazing opportunity that was introduced to me by one of my good friends, Anna Karlshoej. As a St. Francis High School student and a Sacramento resident, I am honored to represent my school and community throughout this journey. 

Isabela, what is LLS and SOY? The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is the largest non-profit organization that is dedicated to establishing a world without blood cancers. Since 1949, LLS has taken tremendous action for the furtherance of their mission. They have invested in groundbreaking research, provided educational support to patients and families, and advocated for cancer patients at the state and federal level--and they continue to do so! However, there is still so much more that needs to be done, which is why I am here to help. Through LLS’s Students of the Year program, high schoolers all across the nation are given the chance to participate in a seven-week, philanthropic leadership program that promotes LLS’s mission of raising funds and spreading awareness for blood cancer patients. 

Isabela, why are you doing this? I ran for SOY to educate myself on how I can bring hope to blood cancer patients and families and ultimately make a difference in their lives. As someone who has received an abundance of blessings, I have the ability to devote my healthy life to the advancement of my community. By taking advantage of the blessings provided to me, I hope to return the favor and help children receive the chance to live healthy lives--similar to the life I was blessed with--and grant adults the opportunity to live their life a little longer. Furthermore, I ran for SOY because I have had very close experiences with cancer. My grandma was diagnosed with stomach cancer whereas my grandpa was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Thanks to research and surgery, my grandma was able to recover and heal from this terrible disease. On the other hand, due to lack of research and cures, my grandpa's brain tumor caused him to be blind for the rest of his life. As you can probably imagine, this situation was very difficult for my family and I, most especially for my hard-working grandpa who had a desire to provide for our family. As you can see from my grandma's encounter with cancer, there have been many advancements and progress in research for curative medicines; however, from my grandpa's experience, you can see that there is still more that needs to be done. I joined LLS to bring something to blood cancer patients that my grandpa never got: hope. I believe that no one deserves to go through this unfortunate situation--no one should have to go through what my family and I went through. In honor of my grandparents, I have joined Project: Hope because I believe that partnering with a wonderful organization, such as LLS, will bring hope for a cure to blood cancer patients that need it the most. I am so grateful to LLS for giving me the opportunity to honor my grandparents and support blood cancer patients in my community; I am so excited and thrilled to be doing my very best to be a part of the generation that cancels blood cancer once and for all, starting with blood cancer.

Isabela, how can I support you? You may help me by first and foremost donating to this amazing cause. All donations are tax-deductible! Your contribution is tremendously important in supporting the thousands of dollars going into research and patient support; your donation will never go to any waste. Second, please spread the word, share my website with others, and inform friends, family, and your community about LLS. JOIN ME IN THIS FIGHT AGAINST BLOOD CANCER!

On behalf of cancer patients and their families everywhere, I sincerely thank you for your support!

For more information, please visit lls.org, check out our Instagram and Facebook account @lls.projecthope, or contact me at isabela.tuazon@gmail.com! :))