Welcome to my blog. If you are stopping by for the first time, enjoy the read, click on the links to learn more and scroll back to the beginning to see how this incredible journey began. If you are a repeat visitor then you know my story and how I became involved with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) Team in Training (TNT) Program.
In less than seven weeks I head to the Grand Canyon for my endurance hike. This has been an incredible journey and I've...
- met and made some great new friends
- improved my hiking skills
- fund-raised a good amount of money for cancer research
- been a good role model for my students and have taught them another way to be selfless through our and giving back
- learned a lot about blood cancers
I'd like to share some of this knowledge with you today...
1. Almost one-third of all childhood cancers diagnosed in the U.S. are leukemias (ALL, AML, CML). Children are also diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndromes, as well as Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Research has led to remarkable improvements in outcomes for children—today about nine of 10 children can expect to survive their ALL diagnosis. But, leukemias still cause more deaths than any other cancer in young people, and serious health issues impact too many survivors. Clearly, more research is needed, and LLS funded research focuses on all of these cancers and supports patients with all of these diagnoses.
2. LLS has a long track record of funding the right research, the best young investigators, and multi-disciplinary research teams and this research has turned basic science discoveries into new diagnostics and therapies. LLS funds research around the world, wherever the most promising work is underway. LLS-funded researchers have made life-saving advances and are poised to make many more.
3. LLS funds research across all blood cancers. Researchers are finding the same or similar molecular abnormalities in cancers that were once considered quite different, and new drugs “target” these specific abnormalities so they are safer and more effective than previously, highly toxic therapies. Thus, these targeted drugs will improve outcomes for many patients, including those for whom the drug was first developed, but also patients with different blood cancers, solid tumors and other serious diseases.
Clearly, more research is needed...and more funding. LLS funded research focuses on all of these cancers and supports patients with all of these diagnoses. Please consider supporting my fund-raising and the work LLS does on behalf of all blood cancer patients and their families.
Thanks for visiting!
