I am one of the South Texas Student Visionaries of the Year Campaign Managers. I will be joining our amazing high school candidates that I manage in fundraising for LLS. 

MY WHY: In May 2006 at the age of three, my sister Abby was diagnosed with Ph+ Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL). The onset was rapid, and her life was in danger when she was admitted to the hospital. She started chemotherapy the next day and would spend over a month in the hospital before going home to continue treatment. Abby was also Philadelphia Chromosome positive which is a rare disorder that made her type of leukemia very high risk and difficult to cure.
 

 

 

 

 

 

Abby was in and out of the hospital and oncologist office for years before going into remission when she was 9. Due to her chromosome disorder, her outlook was always uncertain, and she had many challenging times and health issues. In 2019 at the age of 15, Abby relapsed, and a bone marrow transplant was performed in May 2020 with bone marrow donated by me! Abby was still recovering from her transplant when she found peace from her pain in May 2021. Abby passed away at age 18.

 

 

 

 

 

My sister Abby taught me many things. A few being how to fight, how to love deep, how important family and community is, and to see the good in the world first. 

It's an honor to be able to work for LLS and share Abby's story every day. I have seen first hand the financial, emotional, and mental struggles that come with a blood cancer diagnosis for the patient and family.

 

The Vision: A World Without Blood Cancers

Witnessing the debilitating effects this disease had on my sister, on others who suffer from blood cancers and on the caregivers who live this journey with them is why I’m raising money for research to eradicate blood cancers.

As the global leader in the fight against blood cancer, LLS has:

• Invested more than $1.7 billion in cancer research since 1949 thanks to generous donations and funders.
• Helped advance more than 75% of the 100 blood cancer treatment options developed in the last 6 years alone.
• Funded the revolutionary drug, Imatinib (Gleevec), that started precision medicine which focuses on giving the right drug to the right patient at the right time.
• Started Dare to Dream, a $175M project for Childhood Cancer specific research to find less toxic and harmful treatments for our children. 

The LLS-funded drug, Gleevec, saved Abby’s life when she was diagnosed and helped keep her in remission for many years even though it wasn't approved for children at the time. We need more treatment options for kids. I am indebted to this organization for its longstanding support of research and to the medical professionals who made courageous decisions over the course of Abby’s cancer fight.

 

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.

 

Our amazing 2024 Candidate Class pictured below raised an amazing $660,000 in 7 weeks last year!! This year our 2025 Class and Committee have a goal of $830,000. Your donation today helps us reach that goal!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Thank you to our campaign sponsors!