Inspirational Stories

I found out about The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) through a peer at Brockport College where I attend the Healthcare Administration BSN program. My peer had many great things to say about LLS and was excited to be a volunteer intern. I'm grateful that I was given the opportunity to reach out to those who experience the life-changing event of having blood cancer and can provide them with the resources and support that LLS offers. I love volunteering for LLS because it helps me fulfill my passion for caring for others and making a difference in people's lives. I have worked in the medical field since 1995 in various roles of nursing. My role as a volunteer is to reach out to people and make them aware of the resources that are available and further connect them with LLS. It is very rewarding and self-satisfying as a volunteer to listen when people simply need someone to talk to, and they are extremely thankful for the phone calls and emails. The most rewarding part of being a volunteer is letting people know that they are not alone in their journey and that there are people within organizations like LLS who are there to support them.

I am overcoming life-changing obstacles. In 2011, I assumed the role of caretaker for my mother and my grandmother who had dementia. At that time, I was a mom, full-time employee, and part-time student. In 2020 I watched my grandmother pass away on December 26. In 2021 my mother, my grandmother’s only child, quickly declined and passed away in my home on March 1. On March 10, my middle son was shot and killed by an officer of the Rochester Police Department exactly a month before his 30th birthday. I went from a household of four to a household of one in a matter of months. I did not think that I was mentally, socially, physically, or emotionally capable of dealing with the challenges that life brought. I am persevering, and footprints are being made in the sand as I am being carried through my journey.

My experience proved my resiliency, and I embrace the opportunity to continue to help others and make a difference in people's lives. It’s a blessing to move forward with my purpose in life. My life-changing experience enhanced my ability to apply myself to my studies and set goals that allow me to pursue my passion for helping others. I’m able to influence others and let them know that they can make it through the toughest of life’s storms. I’m grateful to be a walking testimony that life does go on, and although it may not get better with time, all things are still possible.