Search Results
Alyssa
My story begins with a diagnosis of hypothyroidism but they noticed something unusual with my white blood cell count, which was elevated but I had no infection. Further tests revealed that it was lymphoma. My initial diagnosis was incorrect so I went for a second opinion at the University of Kansas Cancer Center. They performed extensive bloodwork and my official diagnosis was primary splenic marginal zone lymphoma (SMZL).
Lindy
I will forever remember August 2008, when I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). I felt terrible one day at work, so my coworkers had insisted that I be seen, and sent me to the hospital. I was sitting in the ER in shock. Cancer? Lymphoma? I needed all the information on my condition, and I needed it now.
Alison & Keith
This is a love story about two Team In Training honorees, Alison and Keith. Keith has been a recreational runner for many years and first learned of Team In Training (TNT) as a fundraising sponsor for a friend. Upon his diagnosis of follicular lymphoma in 2008, Keith says he knew right away that direct involvement with TNT was an obvious step; he became an honoree for the South Bay and Peninsula run teams during his initial chemotherapy treatments, and ran with the teams every few weeks in that first “honoree season.”
Nicole
I am 25 years-old, and I am a two-time cancer survivor. I was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma at 16 years-old. It all began with chest pains that increased, later to find a tumor the size of a fist in my chest. After three rounds of intensive chemotherapy and 28 sessions of radiation, I became cancer free in June 2009. I missed the second semester of my junior year of high school, but kept up as much as I could. Since then, I have graduated with a bachelor of arts in clinical/counseling psychology.
Taylor
In February of 2019, I was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). What started with a simple cough quickly turned into the most challenging year of my life. When you hear the words “you have cancer,” the world stops spinning. There is no way to prepare for the cold, dark fear that takes over when there are so many unknowns. At this point, I didn't even know what lymphoma was. I was so lucky to have UCLA fighting with me and the incredible support of my entire family by my side. I owe it to all of them for pulling me through.
Avi
My journey began a few months into 2020. I was making plans to celebrate my birthday by going to some amusement parks I hadn't been to in many years. Unfortunately, that's when the pandemic hit, and going to the parks was no longer an option. A few months later, I started to get sick. Fever, night sweats, little to no appetite, weight loss. We didn't know if it was COVID-19 or not. I went to urgent care, and they didn't help (sent me home with Tylenol), and I was still not feeling it. I went to get bloodwork as something was off and I was starting to show signs of jaundice.
James
I have leukemia/lymphoma and have been fighting this illness for seven years. I became ill in 2011 but made somewhat of a recovery until 2015 when I got really sick (upper respiratory issues) that took the medical system in Las Vegas more than a year to diagnose as leukemia. By the time I was hospitalized the first time, my white cell count was over 38,000. It took three hospitalizations before my illness was diagnosed. By the time I was diagnosed with lymphoma, my lungs had severe, unrecoverable damage, leaving me on oxygen most of the time, even during sleep.
Varad
I graduated in 2021 with an engineering degree and landed a full-time analyst position at a promising startup. My future was brimming with plans, and by 2022, I was gearing up to leave India for the United States — a dream I had nurtured for years.
Bryana
Hello everyone! My name is Bryana and in September 2022, at 23 years old, I was rushed to the hospital unable to breathe. I recently went on a trip to Las Vegas and had gotten sick while there, but never expected what was coming for me next. I was initially diagnosed with pneumonia but when I had a CAT scan done, the radiologist noticed an abnormal 5cm mass in my chest pushing on my bronchial tubes. My oxygen levels were low and my CBC came back abnormal, I had a severely low amount of WBC which brought up suspicion.
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.
Jason
I’m a father of 4, a first responder, and a military reservist. I was diagnosed with stage 4 diffuse B cell lymphoma. After losing my cousin to leukemia and 2 months later receiving my diagnosis, my whole world was turned upside down.
Richard
It was Monday morning in January 2021. I gave my results to my wife at the kitchen table. She asked if I had read them, and I said no. I had been struggling with a chronic cough, fatigue, and shortness of breath for two to three months, so a CT scan was done to evaluate my lungs. I was simply too tired to read them. My wife scanned the papers and immediately started crying. There was a large 16 cm. tumor in my chest that was creating the symptoms and pressing on my lungs.
Mya
It was the end of my senior year in high school, and I was thrilled to be admitted into NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts to achieve my double bachelor's. I worked hard. Despite the many restrictions of the pandemic, I volunteered, performed virtually, and worked two jobs all in preparation for a bigger life.
Thomas/TJ
This picture is of my brother and my son. Both fought valiantly from acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and Hodgkin's lymphoma respectively.
It started in 2009 when my son, Thomas came home from his freshman year in college. He was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma and was treated right away. He went through the regular protocol which lead to the next level and then trial drugs, radiation, and autonomous stem cell transplant.
Christy
I fell in love with distance running in 2010 while training for my first marathon as a member of Team In Training, raising money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Since then, I have completed five full marathons and one ultra-marathon (49K). I started getting into mountain running in 2016, and aspire to run some mountain races here in Alaska, including Mount Marathon in Seward!
Shelley
Twenty years ago I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). My husband, Remi and I were married and just moved to Virginia, where Remi was stationed in the Navy. In the short six weeks we lived there, I never felt 100% and I was at the doctor four times in six weeks. At my last appointment, I requested that they draw my blood. They told me I had mono, my counts were so low, they took me by ambulance to the nearest hospital.
Dana
I was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in January 2018. I was lucky enough to get into City of Hope which is about 25 minutes from my house. I received all my treatment there. The first treatment was R-CHOP chemotherapy which required me to be in the hospital three to five days every three weeks for six months. I relapsed after six months and did an autologous bone marrow transplant in March of 2019. After about eight months, I relapsed again and prepared for an unrelated donor transplant.
Carlos
In 2019, I was diagnosed with stage 4 mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), a life-altering moment that set me on a challenging path. I endured rigorous chemotherapy treatments, followed by a life-saving transplant in 2020. Afterward, I underwent 18 additional rounds of maintenance therapy. Today, I am proud to say I've been in remission for nearly five years.
Matilda
In March 2024, during my first year of college as an international student in America, I was diagnosed with lymphoma. The diagnosis came unexpectedly during a compulsory admissions check-up where they discovered a tumor in my chest that had grown extensively within just two months.
Sherri
I lost my dad to leukemia 20 years ago, fundraising all year in his honor for the year he knew about his diagnosis but didn’t tell anyone. We also lost his mom (grandma) to leukemia in 2002 and my mother-in-law in 2007 to leukemia. I proudly support The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) and try to donate every year, but this year, I hope to donate a big chunk to help current patients and their families.
Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation
In autologous stem cell transplantation, the procedure uses the patient’s own stem cells for the transplant. The stem cells are collected from the patient in advance and are frozen. After the patient undergoes high doses of chemotherapy, either with or without radiation therapy, the stem cells are then returned to the body. This type of transplant is often used to treat blood cancers such as Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma.
Zoraa
Being a cancer survivor was never on my bucket list.
Suzanne
My mother was diagnosed with multiple myeloma (MM) in February 1987. She passed away in December 1997. I was diagnosed with MM in February 2017. My diagnosis was not only a surprise but daunting because I was my mother’s caregiver and experienced what she faced battling this disease. I’m currently undergoing treatment with the bispecific drug Teclistamab with success. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) has provided me with educational and financial assistance, so I greatly appreciate this organization.
Jamaal
Jamaal Simmons had non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL). He was such a brave person. He worked at Publix supermarket and he went to Clark Atlanta University. He was about to graduate from college when he passed away.
It is now 14 years since he's been gone. But I still donate and collect donations and I've been doing this for many years. I will keep on doing it to help fight this blood cancer.
- Jamaal's mom, Sharon Williams.