Search Results
Mackenzie
I am a recipient of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) 2022-2023 Dreamers and Doers Scholarship for Blood Cancer Survivors.
I was initially diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) at age 4, and after a successful two years of treatment, I went into remission. Unfortunately, at age 8, I relapsed. I am now 19 years old and a sophomore at McDaniel College. I am majoring in biology. I’m also a part of the honors program, and I play NCAA Division III Tennis.
Jill
My world changed forever in April 2021. Life was going so well . . . I was 35 years old, my kids Henry (9), Olivia (7), and Ruby (5) were getting excited about summer break (and all the trips we had planned), my insurance business was in full swing, and all my plants and flowers were in bloom. I was doing what I loved most, working in the yard, when I noticed my right pinky finger was going numb, and I began having trouble walking. We immediately went to the ER. The doctors initially thought it was a stroke, but luckily a fantastic neurosurgeon was on call and saw the MRI.
Stephanie
My journey with blood cancer began long before my diagnosis. In 2006, my world was shattered when my mom, just 52 years old, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). She was quickly isolated in a specialized hospital, enduring grueling rounds of chemotherapy. I was about to start nursing school and desperately tried to educate myself on her illness, knowing deep down that the prognosis was grim. They mentioned a bone marrow transplant, but she never made it that far. A fungal pneumonia took her from us in December 2006.
Loriana
In January 2014, award-winning health and fitness journalist, Loriana Hernandez-Aldama was shocked to learn that she had acute myeloid leukemia (AML). She received the diagnosis from her fertility doctor, who she had seen just days before to do a precautionary blood test for an embryo transfer. Instead of planning for a new baby, Loriana had to begin treatment for cancer.
Shortly after her diagnosis, Loriana said goodbye to her two-year-old son and boarded a plane to another state to begin chemotherapy.
Margot
I lost my father at age 53 to acute myeloid leukemia (AML) after a hard 13-month battle. I want to get involved with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) to spread awareness around leukemia and other blood cancers, to hopefully help other patients and loved ones going through this. My brother, Jack Austin, has run 2 marathons under the team "Running for Rob" and has fundraised over $10K for LLS. I want to get involved and fundraise to not only spread awareness and support to those dealing with this dreadful disease.
Nathaniel
In 2015 at just 15 months old, Nathaniel started to get sick on a regular basis. He started running a fever and his blood count was really low and we pushed for answers when he wasn't getting better until we were told to go to the Children's Hospital. He was extremely pale, wouldn't eat, and lethargic at this point.
Elissa
Ten years ago, my mother-in-law was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). She has since been deemed cured and has had no recurrence since her successful treatment. Some of her medicines were funded by The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). We spent years racing for Team In Training (TNT) to fundraise for LLS.
Auden
Eight-year-old Auden was diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in May 2015 – one month after him and his twin sister, Emery, celebrated their third birthday.
Immediately, Auden underwent aggressive treatment causing him to have blood stream infections, anaphylactic reactions, kidney stones and broken bones, just to name a few. But he kept a positive attitude through it all and Emery has been by his side, cheering him on at every stage of his cancer journey.
Auden’s treatment continued until August 2018, and today, he is proud to say he is cancer-free!
Gil
I was sitting alone in a stark, clean examination room on September 16, 2021, at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) in Brookline, Massachusetts when my oncologist walked in. I called my spouse and son on my cell phone so they could hear the results.
Jennifer
In 1985, 10-year-old Jennifer took to the stage to accept The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) “Employee of the Year” award for her mother, Teresa McVay, who had lost her battle against chronic myelogenous leukemia earlier that year. That was Jennifer’s first time speaking on stage, but it would not be her last. Driven by her mother’s traumatic passing, Jennifer has been a public speaker on Adverse Childhood Events (ACEs), sharing her own experience with loss in order to bring awareness to the cause.
Janiyah
Our beautiful Janiyah was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) at 14 months old. Some will say by chance or luck, others say by the grace of God. Thirteen months earlier, Janiyah was diagnosed with hemoglobin C disease; simply defined as chronic anemia.
Lashi
Lashi, a Chesterfield native, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 2011 at 26 years old after discovering a lump under the left side of her chin. Luckily, her lymphoma was detected at an early stage. After going through painful radiation treatments and losing her hair, she received an all-clear report in March of 2012. Lashi credits her support system for helping her during that difficult time: "Throughout my treatment, I had great support and constant encouragement, which I know was important for me.
Victor
Our father Victor was diagnosed in 1998 at the age of 30 with Burkitt non-Hodgkin lymphoma (BL). He was living in Los Angeles, California, at the time and had just gotten engaged to my mother, Debra. He began not feeling well and was diagnosed with a small mass in his stomach. He was told it was non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). He contacted The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), and in coordination with MD Anderson, he went to Texas, and a protocol was set in motion to fight this disease.
Brittany
Brittany, a 37-year-old mother, is currently fighting leukemia for the second time. Known for her generosity and support for others, Brittany enjoys traveling, spending time with family, and above all, loving her son. Unfortunately, on August 6, 2022, Brittany received an unexpected diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) when she was 35 weeks pregnant. This news shattered her perfect pregnancy plans and forced her into a battle against cancer.
Monica
Our daughter, Monica, is a busy mother of three sweet girls, age 12 months, 3 years and 6 years. After a long winter filled with the girls’ colds, infections, and flu, Monica was exhausted.
Eileen
To say that I have always been daddy's little girl would be the biggest understatement. Everything from school dances to projects in the garage, I could always be found by my dad's side. In 2009, my dad was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
Charity
In March of 2021, I was diagnosed officially with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) after a blood test and bone marrow biopsy. I had just turned 30 and had my first child in August 2020. My OB/GYN noticed that my platelet and white blood cell counts were way out of the normal range and referred me to a hematologist. I did not go, thinking it is just the stress of my body carrying a baby. After I had my son, I began feeling really bad. I had no energy and had the feeling in the pit of my stomach that something was wrong.
Jim
In September of 2017, my wife and I were in New Jersey with family celebrating Labor Day weekend when I passed out, fell and hit my head on a granite counter top. I received a nice shiner, and the next day we decided that it would be a good idea to go to the ER to have it looked at just in case. Weeks leading up to the fall, I was very tired and bruising pretty easy, but thought was worn down because I was helping my mom every chance I could after losing my dad that July.
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!
Christian
In March 2017, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
This came as a huge shock. I immediately starting thinking about how this might impact my wife and our two young daughters' lives.
I had 2.5 cycles of ABVD and ISRT radiotherapy and have been in remission since August 2017. I couldn't have down it without the support of my family, friends, LLS.org support groups and even the ice hockey team I had to stop playing with, who sported violet stick and shin guard colored tape when playing the rest of the season.
Jarvis
In the fall of 2019, life was very active for me and my 4-year-old son Jarvis. I was busy working 2-3 jobs, and Jarvis was busy just being a kid. Almost every day after school we would go to the park so he could run around and play. He was even starting to get interested in bikes and wanting to learn to ride when he started to mention his feet were hurting.
Gregg
I sailed through the first 56 years of my life...bachelor's degree, master's degree, 20 years as a physical education teacher, 15 years as a district administrator and school principal. Along the way I founded AZ Disabled Sports, the Desert Challenge Games, SkiAble and other programming for individuals with physical disabilities.
Childhood and Young Adult Resources
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Resources for Children, Young Adults and ParentsOne-on-One Support
Andreas Strasser, Ph.D., MSc, FAA
A Pioneering Researcher Developing Targeted Therapies for Leukemia, Lymphoma and Myeloma
A cancer researcher trained in cell biology, immunology and molecular oncology, Dr. Strasser has made major contributions leading to discoveries that have found that defects in cell death can cause cancer and impair responses to chemotherapy. With this knowledge, his research team is able to develop new treatments.