Today more than 1.6 million Americans are living with or in remission from blood cancers and every 3 minutes another person unwillingly joins the fight. I have been given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join the battle and help those living with blood cancer. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) has nominated me as a candidate in their Richmond Student Visionaries of the Year fundraising challenge, and I could not be more excited to make a difference in the lives of patients across the country. Every single day, I am reminded of why I have set out on this mission. I see the division and brokenness of my country and society and hope to use my mission in the LLS to connect the people in my community and bring a little more hope into the lives of everyone around me fighting their own battles. 

LLS is the largest non-profit dedicated to blood cancer research in the nation. They have invested nearly $1.9 billion in research, and are leaders in advancing breakthroughs in immunotherapy, genomics and personalized medicine. These revolutionary new treatments originally discovered through blood cancer research are now being tested in clinical trials for other cancers. While there has been phenomenal progress, there is still so much more to be done. Cancer is still one of the leading causes of death in children and young adults. 

My campaign provides an opportunity to support the critical work of LLS in combating these diseases.  I am honoring those who have battled blood cancers and raising money that will go directly to LLS in support of its longstanding mission to find a cure and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Along with my team, I will work to increase awareness about the impact of blood cancers and the cutting-edge treatments that are currently being researched, as well as inspire others to join the fight to find a cure. 

I have assembled Team United in Hope to help me raise funds. I am proud to lead my team and work towards our goal to raise $15,000 or more during the next 7 weeks - January 23- March 15, 2025.  

On behalf of blood cancer patients everywhere, thank you!

Be part of the cure and help my team compete in the Richmond Student Visionaries of the Year campaign. For more information, please contact me at anoushka.anand39@gmail.com or visit  https://www.lls.org/student-visionaries-of-the-year. You can double your donation if your employer matches donations! https://www.lls.org/ways-help/employee-matching-gifts 

For more information about LLS, please visit www.lls.org.