On Thursday, February 26th, I will begin my work as a candidate for the Man and Woman of the Year Fundraising Campaign. This is a 10 week campaign created by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to help raise money for those impacted by blood cancers.
As many of you know I battled Stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma throughout 2014. Every other week I was treated with chemotherapy and although it took a toll on me physically, mentally I became so much stronger. Throughout the treatment, I worked out every day. I didn’t do it to lose weight, but to gain mental strength and clarity to continue my fight. It was a difficult time, but looking back, I know that I was blessed with each obstacle.
In the last few months. I have reflected and prayed about how I can use this time in my life as an opportunity to help others. I was recently nominated for the campaign and am truly honored to accept.I know this is something that I am truly called to do.
Cancer stops with me.
Facts about Blood Cancer:
- Leukemia causes more deaths than any other cancer among children and young adults under the age of 20.
- An estimated 1,129,813 Americans are currently living with blood cancers.
- Every four minutes someone is diagnosed – more than 149,900 new cases are expected this year.
- Every 10 minutes, someone dies from blood cancers – an estimated 54,630 deaths are expected this year.
- Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma are cancers that originate in the bone marrow or lymphatic tissue as the result of an acquired genetic injury to the DNA of a single cell, which becomes malignant and multiplies continuously. This abnormal accumulation interferes with the production of healthy blood cells.
- In the United States 310,046 people are living with or in remission from leukemia.
- The five-year relative survival rate for a child under the age of 15 with ALL has improved from 3% in 1964 to 92% today.(lymphoma)
- There are 731,277 people today living with lymphoma: 172,937 have or are in remission from Hodgkin lymphoma; 558,340 have or are in remission from nonHodgkin lymphoma (NHL).
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is the seventh most common cancer in the United States, and its age-adjusted incidence rose 89-percent from 1975 to 2010.
- The five-year relative survival rate for patients with Hodgkin lymphoma rose from 74-percent in 1975 to 88-percent in 2009.
Many LLS supported therapies not only help blood cancer patients, but are also now used to treat patients with rare forms of stomach and skin cancers and are in clinical trials for patients with lung, brain, breast, pancreatic and prostate cancers. And LLS funded drugs like targeted therapies and immunotherapies are now saving thousands of lives every day.
Why Does This Matter?
I can tell you from personal experience the first thing that I did when I was diagnosed was look for HOPE. I grabbed on to whatever I could take. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society provides that hope.
Hope for a world without cancer.
Hope for new developments in treatment.
Hope for the families who so desperately need the funds.
HOPE. That’s why I am doing this.
Giving back is an absolute obligation. I am part of something bigger. I am part of something that is going to change the lives of potentially thousands or even millions.
How can I not? How can I not give HOPE?
My fight against cancer has just begun. Will you join me?
The Campaign
We really are getting close to our goal of a world without blood cancers!
I personally will be using the next 10 weeks as an opportunity to talk to more people about my personal story as well as
All donations are greatly appreciated and tax deductible. They’ll not only support LLS research, but patient services, advocacy, public and professional education, and community services as well.
On behalf of blood cancer patients everywhere, thank you for your support!
Thank you for your consideration.
If you would like to follow my campaign journey, please find me on Facebook.
Sincerely,
Katy Ursta
One Fit Fighter
