Inspirational Stories

My life has been an interesting journey. In April 2019, I lost my wife of 20 years, and in August 2020, I lost my older brother to leukemia. My wife was 50, and my brother was 64. After several months of excruciating pain in my abdomen, I was finally diagnosed with non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma (B-NHL) in May 2021. I was 58. Upon entering the hospital in June for my first round of chemo, I was diagnosed with acute renal failure. After several days of treatment, I finally started my chemotherapy. I was lucky, or so I thought, no radiation for me. In September, I passed out before a chemotreatment and was subsequently admitted to the hospital with COVID-19. I spent the next three days under hospital care and the next 21 days in isolation at home. All this time, my daughters lived in California while I was in Arizona. My last treatment was on November 18, 2021. I was told I would never forget that date, and I haven't. 

I moved to Los Angeles in August 2022, but unfortunately, although I was working, I was homeless for the next six months. During this difficult time, my oldest daughter graduated with a bachelor's degree, and my youngest graduated with two bachelor's degrees from private universities in California. If it wasn't for the occasional financial assistance from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), I don't think I would have had the courage or finances to make any of this happen. The knowledge that someone understood and cared about me and the conditions enabled me to move on. Now, as I defied all the odds and obstacles, I've been accepted to an executive program at Harvard University in April. Harvard, baby!