Search Results
Kelly
In January 2020, I was a 21-year-old full-time pre-medical student diagnosed with Stage 2E Nodular Sclerosis Classical Hodgkin lymphoma, about three weeks after getting engaged to the love of my life and primary caregiver, Alex. We put our entire lives on hold to begin this battle, but we had a huge support network that cheered us on with the slogan, "Let's Get Excited." I was treated for my cancer at Mercy Hospital in Springfield, Missouri, where Dr. Jessica Snider & Dr. Kimberly Creach successfully cured my cancer.
Sarah
I was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-cell ALL) in October 2020 at the age of 38. It was a shocking diagnosis. I started feeling bad in September with extreme fatigue and some body aches, nothing terribly alarming. I'm a busy wife and mom of two young kids (ages 2 and 8 at the time of diagnosis) with a full-time job and two new puppies. I figured I was just worn out from everything. I had routine bloodwork scheduled for my annual physical. When my primary care doctor received the results, he called and asked me to go to the emergency room.
Hannah
My name is Hannah Gallant. I am an 11 years old from Quispamsis, New Brunswick Canada. In August 2016, after several trips to the doctor and the hospital because I wasn’t feeling well, my parents brought me to the hospital for blood work. I wasn't worried, because I thought it was just growing pains. We got the results that same day, my parents found out it was a form of leukemia called acute lymphoblastic leukemia (AML). They didn’t tell me until the final diagnosis took place at the IWK. I was very worried, and even though I didn't know what leukemia was.
Heather
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light The Night Walk serves as an inspiring, empowering and comforting event, made possible by those who share, remember, and advocate for the fight against cancer. Each year, we here at LLS are graced with countless stories that demonstrate and display the spirit of this event. Heather Lee’s story is one of them.
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. Roads or hills I had ridden countless times before instantly became unmanageable. Thinking I was battling the flu or a virus, I visited my doctor. Blood tests revealed an abnormality.
Gabe
When Gabriel ran a fever and wouldn’t settle down at 3:00 a.m. one night, I immediately called our pediatrician. Something just didn’t feel right. Our pediatrician sent us to a local emergency room to get Gabe checked out. Thankfully, nothing was obviously wrong, and the ER chalked it up to a viral illness. However, Gabe’s bloodwork came back a little strange. He had something called “blasts” in his blood, which is abnormal. The doctors told us it could just be because of the virus, and since the rest of his bloodwork looked great, they didn’t think it was leukemia.
Judith
In 2016, my Mom/daughter's grandma, Baba (Judith W), was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). After her first round of chemo, she was discharged from a one-month hospital stay on my daughter's third birthday. Best birthday present ever. She continued fighting the disease with more chemo and ultimately received a stem cell transplant from an amazing donor. Amid the uncertainties of her recovery, we hosted our first lemonade stand fundraiser on Mother's Day weekend the following year in hopes of helping.
Stem Cell Transplantation
Allogeneic stem cell transplantation has been used to treat and sometimes cure chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) patients. However, because of the high, sometimes life-threatening risks associated with stem cell transplantation, doctors rarely use it in elderly patients or patients in poor health.
Emilee
In 2021, at the age of 19, I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). I received three rounds of aggressive chemotherapy before having a bone marrow transplant at Stanford. From that point on, I have stayed in remission with no evidence of disease. I am now 21 years old, and a full-time student with three jobs!
Teresa
It took two months for the doctors to take my illness seriously. I was suffering from hip and leg pain, but the doctors thought it was caused by the sports I was playing in high school. They would send me home with pain medication.
Michael
I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) on October 4, 2009. I received a bone marrow transplant from a younger brother. My late wife was originally diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. She died of metastatic breast and brain cancer on July 18, 2018. We were each other’s primary caregivers.
Luis
I was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in 2008. I immediately started my chemo treatment in pill form which is Gleevec® 400 mg. I was in treatment for seven years until 2015, and I completely stopped all treatments. I have been cancer-free for the past nine years. I want to share my story and experiences with others.
Imatinib mesylate
Generic name Imatinib mesylate Pronunciation i-MAT-i-nib MES-i-late Brand name(s), other common name(s) Gleevec® Drug type Tyrosine kinase inhibitor How the drug is given By mouth Indications and UsageImatinib mesylate is FDA approved to treat
Gina
In 1994, at the age of 29 I was diagnosed with stage IV acute myelogenous leukemia. I was told there was a five percent chance that I would survive. Having a husband and three kids, I was devastated!
I never thought this could happen to me, and it was a long hard fight, but I did it.
I survived and I feel proud to say I am a survivor!
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.
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.
Gina
I was diagnosed with CML on May 25, 2010. Up until December 16, 2013 my disease was managed by oral chemo, then unexpectedly, I went into a blast crisis and progressed to acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). I was told that I may not live to the end of the year unless an aggressive regimen of in-patient chemo, administered at the University of Pennsylvania hospital, was able to slow the proliferation of blast cells. Thankfully, the chemo worked and I began the preparation for a stem cell transplant. I had the stem cell transplant on May 1, 2014.
Zach
Zach Guillot was a normal, healthy, superhero-loving kid when he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) at age five.
Liam
One of the Boston Bruin’s biggest fans, Liam Fitzgerald garnered national recognition as the “fist bump kid” and went on to raise almost $153,000 for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) to help fight blood cancers.
Rebecca
Less than one month before finishing her clinical fellowship year as a speech-language pathologist, Becca was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Her life, as well as that of her family, friends, and dog (Clifford), were turned upside down.
Henry Jr
I was the longest leukemia patient on G111 at the Cleveland Clinic. I spent 135 days on the floor fighting every day. I was there so long that when they could not find a way to get my numbers back up, we would call it Ground Hog Day. Every day for about a month, nothing would change. Finally they said that they can keep me alive like this for only nine months, and I have used five of them already. It was time for a bone marrow transplant.
Zachary
Two months after we were married, my husband was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in July 2021. I was 33 weeks pregnant with our first baby when he was admitted to St. Louis University Hospital for the next month of induction treatment. Prior to diagnosis, Zach had been experiencing fatigue and palpitations and would become winded just walking up our flight of stairs. We thought he was having residual effects from some prior illnesses that he was hospitalized for in April and May. We know now that those instances were the beginning of his immune system starting to fail.
Michelle
I was originally diagnosed with Philadelphia chromosome + acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL) in June 2017. My first month of treatment was a breeze, and I tolerated IV chemo well. Unfortunately, the rest of my two years of treatment wasn’t as smooth. I ended up in the pediatric intensive care unit for over a month. I was experiencing methotrexate toxicity and fighting for my life. Once I started recovering, I relearned how to walk, got my strength back, and continued fighting my fight. I was in remission by August 2017 and then finished treatment in June 2019!!