Search Results
Lillian & Jerry
In 2011, our son, Jerry, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) at three years old, and he has gone through two bone marrow transplants. Though he has been in remission since 2014, he has developed many other diseases due to the treatment and drugs, such as kidney failure, low vision, a compromised immune system, and heart issues. While Jerry was going through cancer treatment, his little sister, Lillian, was born and grew up to be a vibrant and sweet girl. Yet, in an unimaginable twist of fate, the same devastating cancer diagnosis shattered our hope.
Fannie
I was diagnosed in August 2018 with stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), and at that time, I was seven months postpartum with my daughter who was only 7 months old, and my son was 8 years old. It was a surprise to hear that I had stage 4 cancer! But after my oncologist explained to me what HL was and what the treatment was, I knew that it was treatable. I started chemotherapy in October 2018, and after a month of chemotherapy, I relapsed because my insurance company was giving me a difficult time with chemotherapy treatment approval.
Dylan
I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) the summer of 2017, right before the start of my junior year in high school. Due to slow immune recovery after chemotherapy, I experienced many delays in treatment. By spring of the following year, I had a CNS and marrow relapse, requiring me to have a life-saving bone marrow transplant in June of 2018. Following the transplant, my body struggled to produce enough T-cells, which put me in medical isolation for the entirety of my senior year in high school.
Russ
(As told by Russ Parker’s wife Karen A. Parker) In the fall of 2004, Russ was looking forward to a surfing trip to Fiji with his son Rusty and a group of good friends. He was a real estate developer, surfer, soccer coach, swimmer and runner.
Gina
In November 2016, Gina was diagnosed with Stage II Hodgkins lymphoma (nodular sclerosis). She had just started her second year at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences where she studies diagnostic medical imaging in the sonography program which is an accelerated three year bachelor program. In addition to being a full time student, she works Friday evenings and 10 hour shifts on Saturday and Sunday at an Urgent Care Center.
LLS Researchers
Partnering for Cures – Our Unique Collaborations Span Continents
Lauren
After being diagnosed Hodgkin’s lymphoma at age twenty-two, my battle with cancer led to a very unexpected journey in my life: becoming an author. I’m very grateful to share that I’ve now been cancer-free for eight years, and my debut fantasy novel The Memory Thief was published by HarperCollins in October of 2019.
Amanda
The word “warrior” seems too tame to describe Amanda Monteiro, a volunteer with The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). She’s fueled by her desire to prevent another child from being diagnosed, another parent from having to say goodbye.
Erin
The night of May 21, 2014, looked like any other that my roommate, Erin, and I would have in our San Francisco apartment. I was busy making the next day's lunch when Erin came home and joined me in the kitchen. We caught each other up on our days, cooked, laughed and planned our next fun adventure. I casually asked how her doctor appointment had gone that day. That’s when she told me that she had been diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. A day that looked so normal was anything but.
Andrea
In October 2015, my family had just moved to Texas for a new start. I had a new career, and two young boys ― a 2-year-old and a 7-year-old.
I wasn’t feeling well and went to urgent care one day where we discovered my white blood cell count was 113. They sent me straight to the ER where I was all alone because we had no one here yet and couldn’t bring the kids to the hospital. Three days later, I was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).
Angelika
In early May 2022, I was experiencing a lingering chronic cough that occurred 24/7 ― nonstop coughing, difficulty breathing, and shortness of breath. Coughing fits would be so unbearable. The harder I coughed, most times I would end up vomiting. At this point, as a full-time, stay-at-home mom, it was difficult for me to care for my one-year-old daughter (at the time) as my health slowly declined, and other symptoms started to arise. On July 13, 2022, I decided to see my primary doctor after I broke out in hives and a rash all over my body for an entire week and to address my cough problem.
Max
Heads or tails? The medical research was clear. Soon after making his way into the world, this beautiful and innocent boy was given the chance of making it to 5 years with the same odds as the flip…of…a…coin. Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) has a 5-year event-free survival rate of 50%. Half of the young children that receive this diagnosis don’t make it. Heads. Or. Tails.
Christen
Originally from northern New York, Christen moved to Denver, Colorado, in 2015 after completing her Bachelor of Science of Nursing at Le Moyne College to pursue a career in cancer care. Through a close relationship with her grandparents, she saw how her grandma, a retired registered nurse, graciously cared for her grandpa while he lived with esophageal cancer for close to a decade. The unwavering love, dedication, and courage they shared inspired Christen to seek out a specialty that allowed her to provide compassionate, holistic care to those in need.
Nik
Hello, my name is Nikolas. I am 16 years old, almost 17, and have been battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) for eight years.
Jaziel
Hello, my name is Jaziel, and I am a three-time leukemia survivor. My story began in 2008 when I was initially diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). I was treated for a few years and became cancer-free (remission) in 2011. During my first battle with cancer, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) helped me and my family immensely by assisting us with rent, gas, and sometimes simply sharing the stories of other survivors, encouraging me to keep fighting.
Celeste
Celeste is my daughter; she was 10 years old when she was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). She had a cough for about two months that just would not go away, and we thought it was her seasonal asthma coming back, so we made an appointment with her pulmonologist. At the appointment, her doctor paid careful attention to everything we were saying and ordered a chest X-ray that showed a large mass in her chest.
We went straight to Boston Children's Hospital and then on to treatment at The Jimmy Fund.
Lynn
In 2013, I heard the words that no one wants to hear, "You have cancer." I was 37 years old, healthy, and an active mom of two. After being sick and misdiagnosed for six months, I finally got some answers: stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), and I started chemo immediately.
Your mind goes to places that you are never prepared for. Two young children that depended on you . . . all the what ifs, what will happen ifs . . .
Andrew
In 2015, I was living in New York City and noticed a lump under my left armpit when I was in the shower. Nobody likes to go to the doctor to talk about strange bodily findings, so I waited for a few months to see if it would magically go away on its own. It didn't. I finally worked up the courage to make a doctor appointment. I showed the lump to my primary care physician, and he said, "Andrew, that's why you came to see me? Just change your deodorant, and you'll be fine." I'm a nice Jewish boy from the Midwest, so I trust doctors implicitly.
Carley
Hi, my name is Carley and I am an angel. I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in 1995 and I died in 1996. I was 3 ½ years old when I died and I tried so hard to live, but AML was just so terrible and there weren’t a lot treatments back then. My parents were so sad when I went to heaven. I’m still 3 ½ years old because up here in heaven we stay the same age and none of us are sick anymore. It’s truly wonderful up here, but there are still way too many of you coming up here from earth because of AML.
Izarhea
First of all, I want to thank God for keeping me sane as he forced me to grow this year. On June 25, 2023, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), and to be honest, I wasn't tripping at first because I had no idea what that meant. Then my mom explained to me that I had cancer. I went from ending my junior year to celebrating my 17th birthday to getting my port installed and starting chemo all in the same month. I remember telling my dad how scared I was for my whole life to change, but I eventually saw how necessary that was.
Stem Cell Transplantation
Allogeneic stem cell transplantation has been used to treat and sometimes cure chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) patients. However, because of the high, sometimes life-threatening risks associated with stem cell transplantation, doctors rarely use it in elderly patients or patients in poor health.
End-of-Life Care
Awareness and discussion of end-of-life issues is an important aspect of care for any serious illness and helps improve quality of life. Talk to your child’s healthcare team about treatment goals and any concerns you have related to prognosis, treatment outcomes and end-of-life care.
Clinical Trials
Taking part in a clinical trial may be the best treatment choice for some MDS patients. Clinical trials are under way for all MDS-risk types. Today's standard treatments for cancer are based on earlier clinical trials. LLS continues to invest funds in MDS research.
Click here to read more about clinical trials.
J.J.
The first time I remember hearing of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) was through Team In Training (TNT), specifically from a brochure I picked up at a bike shop that invited one to train for a 109-mile bike ride with TNT. It was 2007, and I thought it sounded like a blast. I convinced my girlfriend at the time, Stacey, to join me. We used the occasion to buy some fancy new bikes. With some fundraising and committed training dates, we would be able to say we had done a Century Bike Ride! Cool!
Jaime
My name is Jaime. I am married to my best friend, Brad, and we have three children, two daughters and a son. We also have a daughter and son in-law plus five beautiful grandchildren. I am very fortunate and count my blessings every day.
My cancer story started in April 2009.