Meet Oscar

Oscar
Oscar is a true inspiration! He is currently battling Leukemia and he and his fiancé are members of the walk team! So, even though Oscar is going through cancer treatments he attends all of our practices and will be walking the Nike 26.2 Marathon in October. I count on him for his positive attitude and his enthusiasm.
Oscar is the perfect example of why the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is so important. He was diagnosed just this past winter after he became exhausted during a ski trip. His doctors put him on the new drug Gleevec which has been working well for Oscar so far. The research for drugs like Gleevec is a funded through the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Unlike standard chemotherapy agents, these drugs target only cancerous cells and leave normal cells alone. People like Oscar are living much better lives because these types of drugs are now available.

Meet Ryan

Ryan
Ryan is the 15-year old brother of one of my teammates. I don't have a picture of Ryan because he has been hospitalized at UC Davis Medical Center with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma for several months. Ryan has lost all of his hair and a lot of weight, but he remains strong. We are all keeping Ryan and his family in our prayers hoping that one day they will be able to take Ryan home.

Meet Max

Max
Yesterday I attended a Team in Training pizza party with my honorees. This was the first time I was able to meet Max and his family face to face. Max is three years old and has Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. Max is responding very well to treatments. He is such a cute little boy with so much energy. He reminds me of my younger brothers! He has an adorable little sister and a great Mom and Dad. I got to show Max the bracelet I wear in his honor. The bracelet has his picture on it. Max seemed to think that it was pretty cool.