Help Blood Cancer Patients Today

Following my illness as a child with what doctors feared was leukemia, my parents became charter members in the Upstate New York Chapter of The Leukemia Society in 1962.

In 1968 the Knickerbocker news did a story on my parents receiving the Volunteer Award from the Upstate New York Chapter of the Leukemia Society. It stated that my parents served the Chapter with determination, concern and gratitude. Their determination was to promote the Leukemia Society’s research to find a cure for blood cancers. Their concern was for the immediate needs of patients and their families. Their gratitude was for the life of their youngest son(me).

My mother went on to say, “Leukemia is a very costly illness. People who normally can take care of their families, own a home and a car, can’t cope with the additional costs of constant laboratory tests and medicines”. Unfortunately, now more than fifty years later, my mother’s statement rings truer than ever. Still today, the unwavering mission of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is to not only find cures for blood cancer, but to ensure access to the best available treatments for all blood cancer patients

LLS also recognizes the financial hardship patients are experiencing during this unprecedented time and allocated $4.8 million for the COVID-19 Patient Financial Aid Program. This program has provided more than 19,000 patients with funding to help offset non-medical expenses such as food, transportation and household expenses since the onset of the pandemic. As the leading source of free blood cancer information, education and support, the people of LLS are working tirelessly, every day, to provide vital programs and services, and to create new materials highlighting virtual services to ensure cancer patients have access to the necessary care they need as they find themselves more vulnerable than ever due to COVID-19.

By donating to this year’s virtual Light The Night event taking place TODAY you provide critical support to local blood cancer patients and their families, and help fund innovative research that is bringing us one step closer to a cure for blood cancers. Every dollar makes a difference. Please consider donating TODAY: https://pages.lls.org/ltn/uny/AlbanyNY20/rostroff

My deepest thanks for your consideration of this important cause.