Greetings,

     My name is Amaan Khan, and I am a sophomore at The Bishop's School in La Jolla. In my free time I enjoy watching baseball and playing Pokémon. I am running as a candidate for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Student Visionaries of the Year Campaign. LLS runs this event once a year to bring together high schoolers with the goal of raising as much money as possible for life-changing cancer research. Since 1949, LLS has invested nearly $1.8 billion into this research. I am running this year in honor of my sister's 5th anniversary of being cancer-free.

     In 2017, my sister, Zainab, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. This event was tragic for the whole family because we were worried about the effects the cancer could have on her, especially at such a young age. It was especially hard for me, as for most of the year I was not allowed to visit her hospital room, and I would often live with just one parent as the other would be with Zainab. Thankfully, after years of chemotherapy and hospitalization, she is cancer free. However, this isn't the story with every family. Just 50 years ago, the chances of survival for this type of cancer were just 3%. Thanks to the work of LLS, the odds have risen exponentially to over 85%, saving my sister's life and many others. While 85% may sound high or even "high enough," there is still much work to be done. If getting an 85% on a math test is a wakeup call to do better, an 85% survival rate should be too. 

     Every dollar donated to LLS is used to accelerate cancer research, patient support, and advocacy, further increasing the odds of survival to prevent many deaths in the future and to serve justice to those who have passed away. Every dollar donated matters, so please do not hesitate to make a donation, regardless of the size. 

For more information about LLS and the crucial work they do, please visit www.lls.org.