Search Results

Diana

It’s only cancer. As blasé as that may sound, I work for the Alzheimer’s Association as Walk Manager of the million-dollar Cincinnati Tri-State Walk to End Alzheimer's. Alzheimer’s disease has no effective treatment. No prevention. No cure. It’s always fatal. So, when the doctor came into the emergency room at 3:30 a.m.

Rose

My brother Hopoate is a leukemia survivor. At the young age of 2, he was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) and finished his chemotherapy when he was 4-1/2 years old. He has been cancer-free for about 17 years now. He is now 21 and thriving.

Anna

As many of you know, in 2015 our daughter Anna was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). She had a very successful treatment, and God answered my wife and my prayers. As of March 2023, Anna has been cancer-free for five years making her a cancer survivor. On October 21, Aimie, Anna, and I will participate in the Light The Night (LTN) walk for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). Funds raised through LTN allow LLS to fund treatments for patients who have blood cancer. As you can imagine, this cause is very special to Aimie and me.

Cancer-Related Fatigue

Fatigue is very common in patients with blood cancers. Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is characterized by excessive and persistent exhaustion that interferes with daily activity. CRF often begins before cancer is diagnosed, worsens during the course of treatment and may persist for months—even years—after treatment ends. 

Monica

Monica was learning how to be a new mom to a six-month-old baby when her night sweats got worse and worse. She also seemed to have a cough that would not go away. It turns out that her symptoms were not due to the daycare bugs her daughter brought home. In April 2017, she was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Her clinical care team discovered a malignant 5 inch mass in her chest near her heart.

Erica

Erica was diagnosed with potentially fatal Stage 4 Hodgkin Lymphoma on March 28, 2013. Her journey to survive her battle with cancer was very trying but after overcoming her obstacles, Erica is very passionate about inspiring people to have the d’zire to survive any challenges that they may face in their lives. Erica’s fight to survive lymphoma had its highs and its lows, however, she didn’t give up even when at times her battle seemed like it wasn’t getting any easier.

Jay

Nana’s Heroes was started to honor Lois “Nana” Bowen. When he found out she was sick, Jay, Nana’s grandson, was 13. Around ninth grade, he wanted to do something about it. Although he couldn’t fix her all up or make her all better, he could help raise money to help find a cure for the awful disease that she had.

Nanci

I was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) in January 2009. My doctor said the average life span was three years if not for the newer drug called Gleevec, a drug that The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) had been involved in the research of it. I started on Gleevec in February, but after a week I was taken off it to bring my immune system back up. Back on Gleevec, I reached remission in July 2009. I now have been in remission for 12½ years. I now take the generic brand due to the cost.

Kaidyn

Kaidyn was only six months old when he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). About two months later, he received a bone marrow aspiration and was started on chemotherapy. Over the next ten months, Kaidyn was in and out of Children's Hospital of Oakland. It was there that he took his first steps, said his first words, and even flirted with every nurse in the oncology unit! Kaidyn is now a healthy three-year-old boy with an ear-to-ear grin who participates in his local Light The Night Walk each fall.

Reid

We just wanted to reach out and say how much The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) has helped us. From attending Light The Night (LNT), to getting a blanket in the mail, to receiving funds when I couldn't work to keep Reid safe from the pandemic. Anytime I have needed assistance or reached out, the staff I have chatted with are so amazing and make you feel like you're so included and important. You have made us feel loved and gave us hope and inspiration. Reid was diagnosed at 2 years old, and he is almost done with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-cell ALL) treatment.

Story

Story was diagnosed with biphenotypic leukemia (BAL) in July 2010. She was four years old at the time. She was treated with two rounds of “high-risk protocol” chemo. She was in complete remission after 60 days. However, because of her particular diagnosis, we were advised that she needed a bone marrow transplant to have the best chance of long-term remission. Her older sister, Lyric, who was just six at the time, was a perfect match. 

Erika

I am a 36-year-old cancer survivor. In February 2014, I found a suspect lump and had become unusually tired. I was a career-driven single mother of a very active 10-year-old boy, so when I say unusually tired it was time to call the doctor. Within days I was thrown into the crazy and often times confusing world of hospital appointments and insurance company battles for various procedures and surgical biopsies. We became pros at the waiting game.

Howard

Twelve years ago, I found out I had stage 4 grey zone lymphoma (GZL), a hybrid lymphoma that only about 10 people have had and only about three people have survived. Getting this news as a 28-year-old man just getting started in life was like having the weight of the world on my shoulders, and I didn’t even know how to deal with it. Luckily, I found a lymphoma specialist, Dr. Andre Goy of Memorial Sloan Kettering, who was bringing his expertise to Hackensack Meridian Health in New Jersey. I feel like there was some divine intervention here.

Alicia

You never think it will happen to you until it does. Hearing the idea that you might have cancer was one of the darkest moments of my life. I was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) in February 2023 at only 27 years old. I am a mom, a wife, a sister, a daughter, and a pediatric ICU nurse. I am used to taking care of patients on their worst days, but becoming a patient made a huge impact on me and made me a better nurse and advocate for patients/family/friends. 

Joshua

In May of 2016 my husband Josh was experiencing abdominal pains. He was so sick with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. He went to see his doctor and was told it was probably a stomach bug but then it continued to get worse. He went back a couple of days later and they did an MRI. On June 2, 2016 we got the results from the MRI and he had a bowel blockage then there showed signs of cancer. After a couple of days of him being in the hospital treating the bowel blockage we finally were told a diagnosis. The cancer Josh had was rare, extramedullary acute myeloid sarcoma.

Jordyn

In September 2013, our six-year-old daughter, Jordyn was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma— a diagnosis no parent ever wants to hear. Within a day of diagnosis, she already started chemotherapy. Numerous lumbar punctures and blood transfusions soon followed. Our life had changed in an instant.

Jordyn persevered through the hair loss, many overnight stays at the hospital, and frequent doctor visits for more than two years. Jordyn is our hero of strength. She has always kept a positive attitude during this battle— she calls it her fight with "Blob".

Lana

Lana's journey with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) began in 1991 when she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Overcoming numerous physical and cognitive challenges associated with her illness, Lana emerged as a dedicated advocate for cancer awareness and support. She became an integral part of the Orange County LLS community, participating in various programs such as Honored Hero, Light The Night, and So Cal Cancer Connection, among others.

AnnaKate

In my junior year of college, I felt so sick that I would sleep through online classes, throwing up every couple of days. I thought I was just stressed and not sleeping enough at night. However, a month later, a relentless cough took over. It was nonstop ― cough after cough and nap after nap.

Eva

In 2014, as a 19-year-old sophomore in college, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). After two years of suffering from a mystery illness, I finally had answers; my itchy feet, night sweats, frequent infections, and shooting pain all snapped into place with a cancer diagnosis. I called all of my closest friends and packed my bags. I’d moved 3,000 miles for college, and traveled all the way back home — Los Angeles to Boston — for treatment. Next up would be six months of ABVD chemotherapy, known to be very effective and very unpleasant.

Kristen

In the fall of 2012, Kristen Comer noticed her energy level wasn't as high as it had been, but she thought nothing of it. It wasn’t until the fall of 2013 when she had unidentifiable bruises on her body and no change in her energy levels, that her general practitioner drew labs to determine a diagnosis. After three panels of blood work, Kristen was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) on December 31, 2013.

Cayden

In April 2020, three-year-old Cayden began experiencing leg pain and developed an unusual limp that alarmed his mother, Courtney. Soon, the pain progressed to a stiff neck and loss of appetite. Just two weeks later, after multiple tests and doctor appointments, Courtney and her husband would hear the words that every parent fears, "your child has cancer". Cayden was diagnosed with a high-risk form of blood cancer, Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

Faith

I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) my senior year in high school. I went through 10 months of intense chemotherapy, and I am now in remission/maintenance.

Doug

In July 2014, my defibrillator fired while I was at a diner. Upon testing at the hospital I found out I have acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Much to my surprise, it was discovered by a simple blood test.

Laura

My mom was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in August 2022. Over the course of a year, she underwent chemotherapy, caught COVID-19, underwent CAR-T therapy, and fought through many respiratory infections. My mom was a fighter. She wasn’t going to let a cancer diagnosis slow her down. She wanted to live. Between me and my sisters, we all took turns taking my mom to all her appointments.

Wendy

I am a 3-time Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) survivor. I underwent two stem cell transplants. The first transplant was my own stem cells, the second transplant was a donor transplant. My baby sister was my donor (she was a 6/6 match); I was very lucky. I underwent three years of radiation and chemotherapy and have been in remission now 12 years. Since then, I have gotten involved with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). I first started by creating a fashion show to raise money for LLS.