Search Results
Joyce
We have been involved with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) since Steve's diagnosis with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in May of 2002. Steve's CML continues to be successfully treated with a drug called Gleevec, which was funded in part by LLS. This year we celebrated his 15 years of remission from CML by taking a trip to Florida with family. Thank God for survivorship AND cancer research!
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.
David
My name is David, and I am a personal trainer/sports performance coach. I have had the privilege of working with youth athlete Zac in the gym for the past couple of years. Last year Zac was diagnosed with leukemia, which was very heartbreaking for me to hear. However, I have been extremely touched and inspired by Zac and his fighting mentality and positive spirit as he has battled cancer. He has made it a priority to continue exercising while fighting something greater than himself.
Don
In January of 2016, my dad was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). He was unresponsive to treatment. He went into remission, but it quickly came back. The clinic said they couldn’t do anything more, so he was referred to the University of Minnesota for a clinical trial. The treatment included me, as his daughter, donating my T-cells. The clinical trial was helpful but didn’t get the results he needed, and cancer came back.
Heather
The world works in mysterious ways, it truly does! When I first volunteered with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training (TNT) program in 2015, I never in a million years thought I would be fundraising in honor of my husband Dave. I started out fundraising for my step-grandmother Margaret and his grandmother Pearl. Eventually, the list of people I ran and fundraised in honor or memory of grew to way over 20! All that time it turns out I was fundraising for Dave, too, we just didn't know it yet!
Betsy
My dad, my best friend, lost his short 15-day battle with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) on January 23, 2008. Dad was 72, but not just any 72-year-old man. He had so much life in him. He was very active in his community and loved his wife (they were married for 44 years), his daughters (my sister and I), and especially his three grandchildren! He lived every moment to the fullest and you knew he enjoyed life just by listening to his infectious laugh! He always had a smile on his face, a story to share, and those always needed words of wisdom to share.
Campbell
Hi! My name is Campbell Brandt. I am 9 years old and a student at Spring Run Elementary School in Chesterfield County, Virginia. I love to dance, play softball, ride my scooter, sing karaoke, listen to music and watch the Disney channel. I like to dance and sing to Katy Perry, Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood. I am a pretty typical 9-year-old girl, except that I have fought cancer.
Natalie
I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (with a FLT3 mutation), at age 46, on April 24, 2018. I had no idea I was as sick as I was until I was in the ER in Tampa, Florida and told my body was 94% full of leukemia. I needed to start chemo immediately.
Dallas
Leukemia, as many of you know, is a cancer. It damages your body to the point where you are so comfortable with death and dying that it becomes an afterthought because in your mind you’ve already died. You see so many of your friends pass away at such a young age that it is devastating to the point where you become extremely emotionally advanced or numb. The resemblance that trauma has with a double-edged sword is that you either skyrocket or hit rock bottom.
Jerome
Most importantly, the doctors, nurses, and researchers are true angles; wouldn’t be here without them. Dedicating their lives to saving others’, I am forever thankful. Not to mention the secretaries, volunteers, and administrators who are the lubrication to the operation, thank God.
It has been a while, but here’s the summary: Diagnosed with ALL in Oct. of 1986, remission shortly after in Dec. of 1986, then 2.5 years of chemotherapy and a few weeks of radiation therapy. It all changed my life... for the better.
Relapsed and Refractory
Some patients' cancer returns after a successful course of treatment. This is called a relapse.
Some patients' cancer does not respond to treatment. This is called refractory chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML).
If you have relapsed or refractory CMML, talk with your doctor about whether taking part in a clinical trial may be a good option for you.
Camdon
My name is Camdon Cherry. I was 14 hours away from graduating with a BS in microbiology from Oklahoma State University when I was diagnosed with acute lymphblastic leukemia (ALL).
I presented to the hospital with staphylococcus infections in my blood and developed COVID-19 while in the hospital so my treatment was delayed for weeks. I am still very early in my treatments as I was only diagnosed on Dec. 1, 2020 and I am currently in induction phase 2 of chemotherapy.
Donna
I was first diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in my 20’s. I had a three-year-old daughter and a husband. I went through six months of chemo and continued working full-time as a nurse in homecare the whole time. I was told that if I was to have a reoccurrence, it would come back as leukemia within 10 years. I harvested my bone marrow after chemo and saved it for the 10-year time frame. I thought I would never get cancer again. However, in 2018, I started not feeling well and was diagnosed in July with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
Anna
I was a recipient of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Scholarship for Blood Cancer Survivors this year. I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) on December 23, 2014. I received over 80 doses of chemotherapy, 40 blood product transfusions, and had six infections. One of these infections landed me in the pediatric intensive care unit for seven days with acute respiratory failure and sepsis. I spent 133 days in-patient at the hospital. In May 2015, I left the hospital for good and am celebrating seven years in remission.
Harley
At 22 weeks pregnant, I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). After a few years of trying to have a baby, my husband and I finally got pregnant. My first trimester went like any other, nauseous all the time. Then closer to my second trimester, I got a weird rash that was brushed off as being part of my pregnancy. I then became extremely sick to the point where I felt like my body was dying. This had gone on for about two and a half months. It had gotten to the point where I could no longer do everyday things.
Ira
In August 2014, at age 48, I was literally in the best shape of my life. I was an avid cyclist, averaging more than 150 miles per week, leading groups of riders for my cycling club, and completing multiple 100-mile century rides in a single season. Over the course of just a few days, while cycling, I noticed a sudden setback in my performance. Virtually overnight I lost stamina, speed and endurance. Thinking I was battling a flu or virus I visited my doctor. Blood tests revealed an abnormality.
Ashley
Three little words changed my life forever!
Chris
When I started this journey six years ago, I never would have imagined I would take part in TEN Team In Training events, but losing a great friend can motivate you to do incredible things.
Krista
Where do I begin? I am a 2x acute myeloid leukemia (AML) survivor with being diagnosed for the first time in 2008 at the age of 38. My family and I received amazing support through The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) both emotionally and financially with the co-pay program, webinars, and information guides.
Jessica
Hi my name is Jessica and I am 21 years old. Two weeks before my 12th birthday I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) which would completely alter the entire of my life moving forward. Due to the complexity and aggressiveness of my treatment, I was always receiving my treatment inpatient. My chemo regimen caused me to become severely tired and weak each round taking weeks for me to bounce back for the next round.
Diagnosis
Diagnosing acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and the ALL subtype usually involves a series of tests. An accurate diagnosis of the subtype is important. The exact diagnosis helps the doctor
- Estimate how the disease will progress
- Determine the appropriate treatment
In children, a diagnosis of ALL generally requires a finding that 25 percent or more of the cells in the bone marrow are leukemic blasts of lymphoid origin (lymphoblasts).
Steven
I'm the wife, Hannah. My husband is the fighter. I call him Mr. Steven, babe, and sometimes even Esteban. We fight together, of course, but he's the one throwing the punches and kicking cancer's butt.
Nicole
Just two weeks into my junior year of high school, I was pulled out of class at lunch and packed a small overnight bag, not realizing I wouldn’t return to school for the entire year.
My name is Nicole, and in 2022, I celebrated the 10-year anniversary of that life-altering day.
Jennifer
On New Year's Day 2012, I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). I watched the ball drop in the ICU with a nurse assigned to me. They heard my mom being asked if I needed to be resuscitated, so they proceeded with that and then to hear her respond to do everything you can for her. The seriousness of that is very overwhelming.
Russ
Shockingly I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) on February 28, 2024! My wife Nancy and I were devastated and had zero background or experience with leukemia. We were sent to UCLA for treatment. What a godsend!