Blood cancers do not discriminate. They do not care about your age. They do not care about your gender. They do not care about your socio economic background. They do not care if you're a republican or a democrat. They do not care if you're gay or straight. They do not care about your race. They do not care if you are fat or thin. They do not care if you eat organic, vegan recipes or junk food. They don't care what language you speak or where you come from on Planet Earth.
There is absolutely nothing you can do to prevent leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma. Anyone of any age can get blood cancers. I have seen newborns with leukemia. I have seen serious healthy athletes with lymphoma (my husband). I have seen rich people die of blood cancers and I've seen poor people die of them. I have witnessed first hand as people of all kinds of backgrounds suffer through the hell and torment of blood cancers.
For 40 years, I have been opening my mouth and my pocketbook to fight these diseases. The good news is that although I've been to way too many funerals, I have also been a witness to the incredible advances in treatments for blood cancers. Since 1977, when I first saw childhood leukemia as my baby brother fought for his life at Texas Children's Hospital, I have seen as the statistics changed from 90% chance of dying of childhood leukemia to 90% chance of living.
So, I am tired. But I gain strength when I see the graphs. I gain strength when I meet survivors. This gives me hope that my 40 years of warfare against blood cancers has been worth it. I have incredible hope that a decade from now, we'll see even more improvement.
However, if you are depending on the federal government to fix our cancer crisis, you will be greatly disappointed. Researchers work diligently to develop therapies that are less toxic and more effective for cancer patients, but some of them are at a standstill as funding runs dry. Thankfully, good hearted people donate to organizations like the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). I am very careful about which charities I promote. I know the LLS and have been fundraising with them since 2004 when my own husband's blood cancer went into remission. Not long after, my mom told me that the LLS (which in 1977 was called the Leukemia Society of America) helped pay for my brother's chemotherapy. So, this organization has been a personal friend of mine for 40 years. They fund researchers who are developing therapies to save the lives of the millions of men, women and children who are diagnosed with blood cancers.
Every 3 minutes, another person in America hears the ugly words "you have blood cancer". It is always quite shocking. There are no screenings for blood cancers and there are no preventative steps you can take. It is very often diagnosed in advanced stages and it's extremely aggressive. Unlike some cancers with solid tumors you can see, blood cancer is liquid cancer and it can spread to any part of your body like wildfire.
We are all at risk. Please take a moment today to make a donation to my team's fundraising page for the Light the Night Walk, one of the fundraising campaigns for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. In honor of my 40 years of fighting cancer, would you please consider donating $40 to our campaign?
Your donation is tax deductible and I promise you- the funds go into legitimate research. I have actually been in some of the labs and met the researchers. They truly desire to save life.
Thank you!
