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Boyd

Boyd

Greetings from a friend in Canada! I am a two-time blood cancer survivor and marathon runner all because of the love of friends in The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS)! I had a life saving stem cell transplant from an American Naval Serviceman named Nathan Barnes who was in Japan when he saved my life. (2011-12). My stem cell transplant was May 2012!! A year after my stem cell transplant a friend took me to Alaska and ran a marathon for me with Team in Training! (2013).

Rocco

Rocco

Our little Roc was diagnosed with leukemia on June 30. We immediately started treatment at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital on July 1 where Rocco was given a port, bone marrow biopsy, and his first intrathecal chemo treatment. After a 7-day hospital stay, we were able to come home and continue weekly treatments. Unfortunately, on August 2 we received news that Rocco’s body was not responding to treatment the way we all hoped he would.

bryant

Bryant

Bryant, age five, was diagnosed with Pre-B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in April 2014. At the time of his diagnosis he was the typical 3-year-old, who loved to say “NO.” As an independent guy, who wants to make all decisions, he didn’t have many choices for the first few months of treatment.  He began his treatment with an intense 8 month protocol. With the many ups and downs chemotherapy brings, he had to also fight a serious kidney infection. After the initial 8 months Bryant moved onto a maintenance program, which began in January of 2015.

nancy

Nancy

I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2008. For a year, I was in the “watch and wait” category with no treatment until the disease progressed. In April 2009 I progressed to “active disease” and began treatments followed by an autologous stem cell transplant in January 2010.

julie

Julie

My twin sister, Julie was first diagnosed with leukemia when we were 25. Thankfully, she battled through and was in remission after a year of treatment. It was a rough battle for our family, but especially her. Newly married, her and her husband had just started to build a house and were hoping to start a family. Fortunately, she had great annual checkups and after 13 years, she was declared cured.

Katelin

Katelin (KiNG)

In April 2017, Katelin, also known as KiNG, went to see a doctor for persistent severe headaches and dizziness. A blood test revealed that she had phase III chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). For someone Katelin’s age, a normal white blood cell count is between 5,000 to 10,000 — Katelin’s was 660,000. She was told it was a miracle she was alive and didn’t experience a stroke or any internal organ damage.

Honored Hero Silicon Valley

Liam

In April 2015, Liam was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) when he was just one-and-a-half years old. After living in the hospital for four months of intensive treatment, Liam went into remission in July 2015!

He got back to an active life and was enjoying being a normal kid. He had the honor of being LLS’s 2016 Honored Hero. He and his mother attended many LLS events to share his story. Liam was set to kick off the Light The Night walk but unfortunately, Liam relapsed right before the event and had to endure more chemo.

Ethan and Siena

Ethan & Sienna

Ethan was just five years old when he was diagnosed with very high risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The following years involved countless hospital visits, chemotherapy, bone marrow aspirates, lumbar punctures, steroids, and blood product transfusions.

Lance

Lance

I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia September 2014 at age 13. I had just started 8th grade. 1st symptoms-to-diagnosis took only 4 days. I didn’t get a chance to think about things; we were busy trying to save my life.

elijah

Elijah

Diagnosed with ALL in 5th grade, my hopes for a normal and healthy childhood were quickly shattered. The impact on my family began as devastation but has since metamorphosed into restoration, healing, and a closeness beyond this world (bonus, my brother and I have never fought since the day I received the news of my disease).

Jade_acute_lymphoblastic_leukemia

Jade

Last year in June of 2021, I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) at the age of 24. This diagnosis came as a complete shock to my family and me! My symptoms included extreme fatigue, migraines, bruising, nose bleeds, and radiating leg pains. All these symptoms came and went, and I never would've imagined it would be cancer. I attributed my symptoms to the stress from work. With sitting all day and staring at my computer screen, I never really thought much of it.

MS

Marisa

Throughout my father’s journey, I was impressed by his care team, the advanced medicine used to treat blood cancer today, the individuals I met, people’s generosity, and the organizations I was introduced to. This journey opened my eyes to various organizations such as Be the Match and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). 

Family blood cancer

Ilustre

Just like many Filipinos, my beloved grandpa said “YES” to the U.S. Navy to provide for his poor family in the Philippines. He gave his all, and no matter the circumstances, he stayed strong. My grandpa was a warrior with a golden heart.

From open heart surgery to prostate cancer and acute myeloid leukemia (AML), he fought for his life until his very last breath.

He has instilled in me leadership, hard work, and love. There was never a time he wasn’t there for me at my pageants, birthdays, or award ceremonies.

young black woman wearing a mask and hospital gown lying on a bed with a pink blanket

Brielle

Brielle, a beloved daughter, sister, and aunt, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) on June 8, 2022, at just 22 years old.​​ Given her age and history of ideal health, the news was more than shocking.

Things began to move quickly after the initial diagnosis. Plans were made for her to begin chemotherapy in Augusta, Georgia, which was a four-hour commute from home. Her family pulled together to provide financial and emotional support. Following a successful round of chemo, Brielle’s brother donated bone marrow for a bone marrow transplant.

older black man smiling wearing a burgundy colored shirt with his arms crossed

George

I am a 72-year-old retired Information Technology professional. I was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in June 2002 and remain in active treatment today. Over the last 22 years, I have had more than 700 trips for doctor visits, treatments, lab test, emergency room, hospitalizations, and pharmacy. My biggest challenge over the years is managing the cost of premiums, medical treatment, drugs, travel, and medical appliances. I found multiple resources that stepped in to assist me with my financial challenges related to my CLL.

acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)

Annais

My name is Annais. I am now five years old, and I will be one year in remission from acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) this September 1st.

older white man with beard and mustache wearing a knit cap and puffy blue vest holding a camera sitting by his dog

Joseph

I came down with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in 2006 which transformed into an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma (NHL) in 2013. In 2015, I received an umbilical cord transplant at Penn Medicine Hospital in Philadelphia which was successful. This month, I celebrate nine years post-transplant. 

young white woman with a scarf on her bald head wearing a blue shirt laying in a hospital bed

JoLeen

Ten years ago, at just 29, I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) while being a mother to my 3-year-old daughter. After 83 days in the hospital, countless rounds of chemo, and losing hope when my family wasn't a match for a bone marrow transplant, a miracle happened ― a donor match was found.

middle aged balding hispanic man with bushy eyebrows wearing black glasses and an Oktoberfest t-shirt

Carlos

I was diagnosed in September 2017 with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), and by May 2019, I was told of the need for a bone marrow transplant (BMT). And even though they told me about a "new life after transplant," my life has completely changed. I could not go back to work because of graft vs. host disease (GVHD) and multiple infections during and post-transplant. I’m still on immunosuppressants and chemo-brain with cognitive issues. It has been very hard not to return to practicing Family Medicine since my patients could literally kill me.

young white woman with long blond hair and blue eyes smiling and wearing a light blue tshirt

MaKayla

I am the mother of MaKayla. MaKayla found out on September 21, 2023, that she had acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). She was admitted to St. Francis Hospital in Greenwood, Indiana. During the next three and a half months, MaKayla underwent treatment and several procedures. I cannot begin to explain the faith and strength my daughter had during this process. The oncologists, nurses, and staff were tremendous. We couldn't have asked for better care for her than what we were given.

Complications of CLL or CLL Treatment

Infection

People with CLL are more likely to get infections.  

Treatment for Indolent NHL Subtypes

Indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) subtypes progress slowly. They make up about 40 percent of all NHL cases in the United States. Indolent subtypes include:

Treatment Outcomes

Some types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) are curable. Some people with other types of NHL are able to keep their disease under control and live good-quality lives with medical treatment.

Click here to access NHL survival statistics.

Radiation Therapy

This treatment, which uses high-energy rays (x-rays) to kill cancer cells, is used selectively in myeloma treatment to kill myeloma cells. For example, radiation therapy is the main treatment for solitary plasmacytoma and for carefully selected patients whose bone pain does not respond to chemotherapy. Radiation therapy may, however, be impractical if there are widely distributed areas of painful bone involvement in the body.