Hi! My name is Emma Ronk and I could not be more excited to be an ambassador of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through the Students of the Year Campaign. The presence and existence of blood cancers, more specifically, Leukemia, has affected my life for as long as I can remember.  My mom, Melissa, was diagnosed with Leukemia in 2008. Only being 6 years old, I did not realize what this meant for my family and that there was a chance that we would never see her again. After months of hospital trips, chemotherapy, and hoping for a miracle, the cancer ended up being too strong for her to handle.  She passed away in December of the same year, and my life has never been the same since then. It has been about 10 years since she passed, and there is not a single day that myself, my siblings, or my dad don’t think about her. Through this campaign, I strive to honor my mom and all of the amazing things she did throughout her life.  She left a lasting impact on everyone she met, and I intend to do the same alongside of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Unfortunately, since I was so young, I never got the chance to truly get to know her or experience what it is like to grow up with a mother. I never want anyone else to have to go through what my mom and my family did, and I hope that one day I will be able to see that happen. 

I am honored to participate in the 2019 Students of the Year program, a seven-week initiative in which select high school students from around the country participate in a fundraising competition to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I am proud to be raising critical dollars in honor of a young patient hero who is currently battling or is in remission from a blood cancer. Each dollar is a vote. The candidate team that raises the most money at the end of the seven weeks is named Student(s) of the Year. Our mission is to not only raise the most money but also to bring attention to blood cancers like leukemia, which is the most common form of cancer in children and teens.

Since the early 1960s, five-year survival rates for many blood cancer patients have doubled, tripled or even quadrupled. And many LLS supported therapies not only help blood cancer patients but are helping patients with other cancers and serious diseases. In fact, drugs first approved for blood cancers are now approved to treat patients with stomach cancers, skin cancers, and autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis.

We really are changing the face of blood cancer!

All donations are greatly appreciated and are tax deductible. They'll not only support LLS-funded research but will help provide critical information and support for patients, and support advocacy for laws to ensure patients can access the care and treatments they need.

Please visit our website often and bring friends who would also like to donate!

On behalf of blood cancer patients everywhere, thank you for your support!

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