Giving regularly over time = giving patients and survivors the chance for more time.
Monthly giving really deserves more credit—credit as a predictable, impactful funding force for our lifesaving and life-changing work. For The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), the reliability of a regular gift helps to sustain cutting-edge research and to provide the free resources and support blood cancer patients and survivors need to live longer, better lives.
It’s about ongoing generosity. It’s about creating a lasting impact.
And...
It's about time.
No one impacted by blood cancer can take time for granted. The moment someone is diagnosed, their life and the lives of their loved ones are forever changed.
Whether we like it or not, the clock keeps ticking—through the rest of the appointment, through the rest of the day, through treatment. Patients and survivors worry how much time they have, how long until remission, how long can they stay in remission?
The reality is, for many patients, they become more aware of every minute, day, week, and month because their futures hang in the balance.
As we step further into the new year, time is on our minds. We want to share some insights into what time can be like for blood cancer patients and how joining our monthly giving program can help to give them more of it.
Every patient and survivor experiences time differently.
After someone has been diagnosed with blood cancer, no matter their cancer type or stage, life is not the same. There’s a “before cancer” and “after cancer.” Whether they are in doctors’ offices, in hospitals, in treatment, or recovering from treatment, their life is filled with unpredictable changes. They may only be able to think a month or two ahead. Sometimes, a moment or two.
What that might look like:
The first month after diagnosis, when there’s often no time to waste and things are an overwhelming blur. Sometimes, patients may not even have time to see family members before being rushed to a hospital or cancer treatment center. That’s Ariel’s story—a frightening, lonely, and challenging time. When she was released from the hospital, Ariel went through her cycles of chemo in the morning and would work nights—she felt it was better than being sick at home, alone.
The first month of treatment, for some, can be the scariest and most grueling time as they get used to the physical effects of their treatment, the side effects, and the wondering about all the unknowns. Many must cancel plans or put their dreams on hold—like Dustin and his fiancée, who had to call off their wedding when he was diagnosed just a week before. They spent 33 days together in his hospital room, wondering how much time he would have.
The months of remission, when survivors can feel like they are living in limbo, holding their breath every time they have their bloodwork checked. Jaime, who has survived multiple relapses, knows the feeling all too well. But she makes a point of staying in the present so that she doesn’t miss out on time with her children and grandchildren.
The months they didn’t have. Tragically, six-year-old Phil passed away from his diagnosis—because science and medical advancements just weren’t far enough along to help him achieve remission. His mother, Katie, profoundly grateful for the time she had with Phil, now gives her time as a volunteer for LLS’s Dare to Dream Project to honor his memory and give other kids with blood cancer more time.
By joining LLS’s Monthly Giving Program, your recurring giving brings a consistency of resources and support for patients like Ariel, Dustin, Jaime, and their loved ones. And it’s a way to honor the memory of patients like young Phil, gone far too soon.
Time can bring good things.
More time can mean more hope for patients and survivors, such as:
- Finding new treatment options in FDA-approved LLS-supported drugs LLS-supported drugs
- Being matched to a lifesaving stem cell transplant donor
- Starting a clinical trial with the help of an LLS Clinical Trial Nurse Navigator
- Finding free resources and support with personalized support from an LLS Information Specialist, an oncology nurse or social worker who can help answer questions and provide guidance to information and resources
- Getting free, personalized nutrition education from LLS registered dietitians who specialize in oncology nutrition
These resources are partly possible thanks to our monthly donors.
The benefits of joining LLS's Monthly Giving Program
Monthly Giving doesn’t just help patients; it also has benefits for YOU, making you part of a wave of steady change and support. Here are just a few reasons:
- Signing up is simple and convenient. You only need to sign up once to give a recurring gift. Go online and choose to donate monthly. The amount you choose is automatically charged each month: set it and forget it! And if you need to stop or hit pause, cancelling is easy too.
- You can make a bigger impact over time. Giving monthly can be more financially doable than a higher one-time donation.
- You’re helping to build a safety net for LLS’s mission. With predictable and reliable monthly gifts, we can consistently keep our most essential support services running—so that no patient or caregiver is left behind.
- By giving monthly, you’re lowering our costs. That means we can focus more on the needs of patients, survivors, and families.
- You’re keeping the search for cures going. Every study we fund is a steppingstone to new and better blood cancer treatments. By giving monthly, you keep up the momentum toward breakthroughs.
Giving monthly = Time for you to change lives
Sign up for Monthly Giving and join a growing community of like-minded, loyal donors whose generosity makes a huge difference in our budgeting and planning and helps sustain LLS programs through the year.
For less than a dollar a day, you can change, improve—and even save—lives every month. By helping LLS fund innovative research, offer free personalized resources and support, and advocate for better healthcare policies, you can help give the gift of more time to patients, survivors, and their families.
Why wait to help?
