Hello!  My name is Felix Castillo.  I am a Senior at Central Catholic High School in San Antonio, TX.  Together with my family and friends I am proud to lead TEAM ESPERANZA!  I chose ESPERANZA, which means Hope in Spanish, as my team's name because I wanted to give cancer patients, their families, and medical teams looking to find a cure for Blood Cancers HOPE that as each day that goes by we are 1 step closer to ending this type of cancer. 

When my family lost my great uncle Rey Avlia to Leukemia, we were all confused, shocked and in disbelief.  How could my Tio Rey go from a perfectly healthy man to losing his battle to an aggressive blood cancer in 6 short months?? After learning more about this type of blood cancer, I came across an article titled "The Lack of Latinos in Clinical Trials." Did you know that Latinos make up between 6-7% of participants in clinical trials? This is not good given that there are differences in how people of diverse backgrounds respond to treatments.  Being nominated as a Student Visionary of the Year for the South Central Texas Region has provided me the opportunity to increase awareness of blood cancers and help those who are searching for better treatments. 

Most don't know that LLS, as a global leader in the fight against blood cancer:

• 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!

On behalf of blood cancer patients everywhere, GRACIAS!

With Loyal Hearts,

​​​​​​​Felix Castillo