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Simantinee

It started when I was in my second year of studying engineering with a small lump on my neck. Dad's suspicion got me to the procedure room the next morning for a biopsy. My father, Dr. Promothesh Roy (Dr. P Roy), a renowned E.N.T surgeon in the North East part of India, didn't feel it was ethical to do an incision on me (hindsight, I wish he did, he probably would have taken out the right sample at that time). Instead, he asked another colleague to do the biopsy. They didn't find anything at that time.

Heriberto

Heriberto

I was diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma (BL) on Friday the 13th ― August 13, 2021, to be exact ― seven months after being married, three months after my wedding reception, and going on my honeymoon.

FP

Fernando

I am a 26-year-old cancer survivor and am about to begin my first year of law school.

middle aged white woman with short brown hair wearing a navy and pink striped blouse and blue pants riding a stationary bike in a hospital room

Kathy

I can draw a hard line between my old life and my new reality, and this was the day I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in August 2022. Looking back on that day, I realize I didn’t have any idea what was ahead and what would be required of me, but I came to a quick realization I needed some sort of routine to make it through each day.

Split screen showing four survivors: Joan, Stephanie, Stacey, Katie

3 Things You Might Like to Know About Being Newly Diagnosed

A cancer diagnosis is a pivotal moment in a person’s lifetime.  

From that point forward, it’s a part of who you are. It shapes how you think about the world—through the lens of your diagnosis and what’s important to you. 

Myles scholarship acute lymphoblastic T-cell leukemia (ALL)

Myles

I’ve always known that I wanted a career in sports in some capacity. My dream since I was in the third grade has been to become a professional football player, but I also was taught the reality of that dream. When you’re little of course you just want to be what you want to be, but as you get older you start to learn what can be in your reach and what the true reality is. As I grew older, I started to think about life after high school football and even college football, if I am blessed with that opportunity.

sonny

Sonny

The last conversation I had with my daughter Sonny was one that I will never forget.  As she sat there exhausted from the leukemia and CDiff and sepsis that was ravaging her body; we talked about how much of a fight she put up.  She could only respond with a short, “I know Momma”.  To which I replied, “You don’t have to fight anymore baby.” Again, “I know Momma”. I told her that her Poppa was waiting in Heaven on his tractor to take her for a ride like she used to love when she was little.

older white man with glasses and blue striped shirt holding a baby with an older woman with dark hair and a floral blouse

Bruce

I was diagnosed with stage III mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) in October 2004 following a routine physical exam. I wasn’t feeling ill, but since I quit smoking many years ago, as a precaution, my primary care physician recommended having a computed tomography (CT) scan of my lungs to see if I had any residual damage.

Dr. Allison Rosenthal at LLS's Light The Night

“People Just Didn’t Get It”: Treating Young Adults with Cancer

Think of spring break: warm sunny skies, a refreshing drink, and hopefully, a feeling of freedom.  

DA

Don

Like so many individuals diagnosed with blood cancer, I had zero thought that I might be ill, much less with a disease that could take my life.

I had signs and symptoms that something wasn’t quite right in my body, annoying things like shortness of breath, lightheadedness, and fatigue. However, nothing registered in my head until after my diagnosis.

It’s September 2005, and I am pretty much invincible, bulletproof! I could, in fact, leap tall buildings in a single bound! Yes, in my mind I was Superman!

Harjeet

Harjeet

In May 2018, I moved to Edmonton from India with my husband hoping for a new career, a new life, and to start a family. Things were all right at first. Everything was going smoothly; I was living my normal life, but life had different plans.

In May 2019, I began experiencing high fevers with no other symptoms. Weeks passed, and I found myself in the emergency room numerous times. I was told that it was just a normal viral fever and took Tylenol to relieve it.

Allie AML

Allie

On July 18, 2020, I rang a bell in the lobby of the Cincinnati Children's Hospital that signified the end of my chemotherapy treatments and the beginning of my remission. At age 15, I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). I entered the hospital on December 1, 2019, with dangerously low red blood cell and platelet counts.

dellyrullan

Dellyanett

I was healed from cancer in 90 days! God's glory was displayed in my life in such a major way! I knew I was coming into this with VICTORY and coming out of it in VICTORY! My faith was elevated to another level. It was only a season of my life that came and went, TO GOD BE THE GLORY! This happened at a time when I was going to move to Atlanta Georgia to pursue what God has called me to do. One of those things was Acting. It seemed that at that time everything was working in my favor.

Kari

Kari

I am writing this in 2022, but I never would have believed when acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) struck my daughter in 2013, that it would feel like we were back at step 1.

middle aged white man in a ball cap with a scruffy beard and mustached wearing a black t-shirt lying in a hospital bed giving a thumbs up

Nicholas

It started with a stiff neck. Then came fatigue and a sore throat. I started feeling full after only a few bites of food. Workouts were getting more difficult to complete. My heart rate was consistently north of 100 just lying in bed. Rationalized. It's maybe strep. Could be mono. I prescribed myself antibiotics and popped ibuprofen. Nothing was working. Reluctantly went to an urgent care after weeks of feeling like this. Bloodwork was done.

Athletic blood cancer survivor standing with finisher and baseball cap

Merton

On November 3, 2014, I drove to work and, upon arrival, knew that something was seriously wrong with me. I called my love, Holly, and informed her that I could not drive myself home as I was afraid of hurting someone else. She came to my work to pick me up and told me we were going to go to my primary care physician to demand a complete blood panel workup. At this point, I was told by my primary care physician that I was suffering from systemic gout. I was prescribed multiple rounds of steroids and a pill that was supposed to break up the shards that were affecting my joints.

chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)

Tim

It was December 2006. I was 28 years old, and I discovered some purple bruises on my leg. I had never seen anything like these on my body before, so I went to my primary care physician. He took some bloodwork, then called me to say I needed to go to the hospital at once. My parents’ friend drove me and my parents to the hospital, and I ended up staying at the hospital for four days.

Dax

Dax

“I just wanted to let you guys know that I’m so supportive of everybody who likes my stuff even though not a lot of people like my stuff – like I’m not huge or anything – I’m pretty small. I just want to show you guys support, and even though I know most of it is just my friends, people I know, who I’ve met, that really helps when you see appreciation for things that you do.”

Young man in black t-shirt with leukemia in a hospital bed with a medical professional standing next to him wearing a mask

Matt

I’ve lived a mostly normal 27 years on this earth. A life filled with wonderful academics, Division 1 athletics (pole vault), financial internships, and fantastic sales roles at companies I really enjoyed.

However, my life changed drastically on February 28th, 2023.

In the middle of the night on that Tuesday, I was woken up by a call from an unknown number. I let it ring through… maybe it was spam? Then they called again.