Inspirational Stories

Emily, a 32-year-old mother of three young children, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in August 2013. After a whirlwind of intense treatments over the next two years including chemotherapy, a stem cell transplant and months of hospitalization, Emily relapsed soon after each treatment. In January 2015, Emily was given a devastating prognosis – doctors said she had six months to live. 

Emily received a glimmer of hope when doctors told her of a potential new treatment. In July 2015, Emily became the third patient in the world enrolled in Kite Pharma’s clinical trial for a lifesaving treatment called CAR T-cell therapy that was made possible by LLS funding. The revolutionary therapy was a success!

Emily has been in remission for more than two years and today, she enjoys spending time with her family and sharing her story publicly to help others. When she learned that LLS played a major role in the funding of her treatment, she became a devoted volunteer. She raised funds through the Light The Night campaign and was the 2017 Woman of the Year in Kansas City, raising $160,000, a record for that Chapter.
 
The CAR T-cell immunotherapy that saved Emily was FDA approved in 2017. She hopes to continue to spread awareness and help raise funds for lifesaving treatments like the one that saved her own life.