Search Results
Haley
I was diagnosed on February 21, 2020, with stage 3B nodular sclerosing Hodgkin lymphoma (NSHL). I was attending UNLV and working on finishing my prerequisites to apply to the nursing program. One month later, COVID hit the U.S. and shut everything down. I had to go to all of my appointments alone. I was able to freeze my eggs before starting treatment two days later on April 3, 2020. I felt like my entire world had been turned upside down, just for the entire world to descend into chaos. It was a very scary and stressful time.
Mollie
Although I was a cancer patient many years ago, survivorship is a journey I take every day. Ever since my diagnosis, I’ve spent my free time engaging with the childhood cancer community and learning more about myself.
Laniya
I was truly blessed to be introduced to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society by workers from Duquesne Light Company as well as my daughter, Ebony Jennings who works as a customer service representative for Duquesne Light Company in Pittsburgh PA. First, I must boast about my granddaughter, Laniya S. White, because she’s a TRUE fighter and never allowed lymphoma to define her.
Timothy
I am an awardee of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Scholarship for Blood Cancer Survivors. I currently hold an associate’s degree in science and am pursuing my bachelor's degree in biology at California State University, San Bernardino, (CSUSB). I am very grateful to be granted this scholarship to help pay for my tuition. In fact, this is the first scholarship I have ever been awarded during my education. These funds are a big stress reliever as it has provided me with the ability to avoid taking out a loan for school and given me peace of mind.
Brauer
Being a recipient of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Scholarship for Blood Cancer Survivors is allowing me to continue my education and pursue the life cancer tried to take away from me. I was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) my freshman year of high school, and one of my biggest fears while in treatment was if I was going to be able to attend college still. I had been dreaming of attending Clemson University and having all the college experiences. I am grateful for the opportunities LLS has given me and the chance to not just survive but thrive after cancer.
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.
Work, School & Finances
Work and SchoolSome people continue to work or attend school through cancer treatment, but others are not able to do so. Talk to your healthcare team to know what to expect from treatment so you can make the decision that is best for you.
Izabella
When I was twelve years old, I was diagnosed with a very rare type of leukemia found in children. I was life-flighted, had various treatments and procedures, and even had four blood transfusions. As incredibly shocking and terrifying as it all was, I pulled through in only a week of treatment. My type of leukemia is called chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). This leukemia is something that will be a part of me forever. Even still, I take a daily oral chemotherapy pill. Despite all of this, I maintain my path in life and will not let anything stop me.
Munira
I will never underestimate my parents' sacrifices to provide my siblings and me with the millions of opportunities we have due to their hard work. My parents were born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Both were born to families who instilled the traditional family value of grit in every walk of life. My parents both obtained a high school diploma with the intent of seeking higher education, but the obstacles of living in a developing country robbed them of the chance.
Childhood and Young Adult Resources
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Resources for Children, Young Adults and ParentsOne-on-One Support
Lorelai
I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) when I was 11. Throughout my entire cancer journey, I had a lot of people in my corner. But what I found most helpful was following The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) social media platforms and reading the articles on their website. Through LLS, I felt like someone actually understood what I was going through. Recently, I have been one of the very lucky students chosen to receive the LLS Scholarship for Blood Cancer Survivors which will be the reason I am able to continue attending college.
Katie
I was diagnosed with Leukemia when I was 20 months old. I endured treatment for a little over 2 years until I was declared cancer free. Since I was diagnosed so young, I do not remember the treatment. However, I do remember the support from The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) as my family participated in the LLS’s Light The Night walk every year for the past 18 years!
Nathaniel
Hi! Nathaniel here, but you can call me Nate. I am an 18-year-old North Carolina Scholar, 2015 graduate of Franklinton High School who graduated with high honors. I am a future student of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, majoring in mechanical engineering. I am a son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, boyfriend, friend, percussionist, musician, scholarship recipient, car and truck enthusiast, minority mentor, and an all around "Renaissance Man" with a philanthropist heart. I also have cancer
Joe
After being diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in March of 2011 when I was only 10 years old, my entire life changed and was put on hold. I went through months of treatments to slow down the cancer, looked for the best possible hospitals in my area, and was able to get a bone marrow transplant in August 2011 from my brother who was a matched donor. I wasn't even close to stopping there. Once I was feeling better, I could do home instruction school from my house so I wouldn't fall behind, and some of my friends were allowed to visit me at home.
Jonathan
I was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) on July 26, 2019, and even without the involvement of a pandemic, I imagine that’s reason enough to believe that to me 2018 seems like a lifetime ago. Still, I can remember it well enough: A wide-eyed younger version of me arrived at college orientation, somehow simultaneously thrilled to begin a new chapter of his life and paralyzingly terrified of the imminent unknown.
Meet the Researcher: Charlene Liao, PhD
Our “Meet the Researcher” series on The LLS Blog shares what our outstanding LLS-funded researchers are working on, the incredible impact they’re making in the fight against blood cancers, and what inspires their efforts to find better treatments and cures.
David
My beloved husband, David served the community of Arlington, Texas, through the fire department for 38 years. Throughout his career, he served the city and trained and mentored other up-and-coming firefighters. He retired in 2017, and just nine months later, he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a very aggressive blood cancer. His oncologists believe it had simmered in David's marrow for a couple of years before it went acute. It came on with similar symptoms to the common flu.
Benedict
I was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) in June 2023. This was after months of testing, worrying, praying, and worrying some more. Honestly, the testing period was so stressful that it was almost a relief to know exactly what was going on when I was diagnosed. This is because while I was testing, I was taking official visits to prospective universities every weekend. I am a football player, and at the time, I was trying to decide which scholarship offer I was going to accept ― which university I was going to pin my hopes and dreams on. It was a stressful time.
A. Timothy Lunsford-Stevens JD
In 1970, I was playing baseball in high school as a freshman, playing second base. A bully made a hit and ran from first to second base, tackling me. I got into a fight with him because of the pain I was feeling in my left hand. After the fight, I needed to go to the hospital. In setting my broken hand, they also did a blood test. The results showed why my hand was so fragile; I had acute myeloid leukemia (AML). I had chemotherapy but no radiation or other treatment. I lived in Georgia and went to MD Anderson in Houston for chemotherapy.
Kyle
In April 2019, Kyle, a 17-year-old football star at Glenn Hills High School in Hephzibah, Georgia, noticed a large lump on his throat while taking a shower. After a trip to the hospital and several tests, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma and began intense treatment right away.
Alyssa
In March 2017, after not feeling well for over a year, Alyssa was diagnosed with histiocytosis disease. Even though she wasn’t feeling her best, she graduated that year with National Honor Society honors and received a scholarship from Valparasio University. She was excited to go to college and fulfill her dream of going into the medical field. But her plans changed when she developed a high fever while on family vacation that summer.
Liz
In December 2010, my fiancé, Darla, was diagnosed with stage 4 small B-cell lymphoma (NHL). Her doctors developed a plan to start her on chemotherapy as soon as possible. She became very sick over the next couple of weeks. When she went to her first treatment three weeks after diagnosis, they could not administer the chemotherapy due to her being so ill. They put it off for a day and began Rituxan® treatment the next morning. She began having an allergic reaction to the drug. They stopped the treatment and tried to stabilize her, but later that evening, she passed away.
Jack
On October 19, 2018, after complaining about excruciating pain in his back, we took our 16-year-old son Jack to see the pediatrician. The doctor checked him out and told us to immediately get him to the Children's Hospital of Colorado and go to the 7th floor to see Dr. Maloney. Not paying attention and thinking nothing was wrong, we didn't notice that the 7th floor was the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders. We met with doctors, had a blood test done, and they came back with the dreaded words, "Your child has cancer." Specifically, he had acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
Lawrence Paul "LP"
In July of 2017, our world was turned upside down. Our son, Larry Paul (LP), was experiencing back pain and was extremely tired. After multiple trips to doctors and ER visits over seven days, he was taken down to UMMC in Baltimore and diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). After a 28-day battle of fighting ferociously, he passed away. When he was sent home from the hospital after 24 days, the doctors were convinced that he was going to beat this. The toxic chemo created a massive pulmonary embolism that went undetected.