Nov 24, 2024
MY WHY
This year, I am taking on The Big Climb not just as a challenge of strength and endurance, but as a way to honor someone who embodies the very definition of resilience—my Grammy, Diana Ahern.
Last year, our world turned upside down when my Grammy was diagnosed with large B-cell lymphoma. At 74, she faced a battle that would test her body, spirit, and our family’s strength. She underwent 600 grueling hours of chemotherapy—a fight that was as relentless as it was draining. We thought she had conquered the beast, only to be devastated when the cancer returned just five months later.
What followed was nothing short of a miracle in the making. Grammy prepared for the fight of her life, a CAR-T Stem Cell Transplant, a cutting-edge treatment made possible by years of research and funding. At one point, her chances of survival dropped to less than 5%. Imagine hearing that about someone you love—a number so small it feels like hope could slip through your fingers.
But hope didn’t slip away.
In true Grammy fashion, she faced every setback, every complication, and every terrifying moment with a courage I can only aspire to. She pulled through what felt impossible and emerged not just alive, but cancer-free. Today, at 75 years young, she is vibrant, joyful, and a daily reminder of what it means to never give up.
I climb for her.
I climb for the researchers, doctors, and scientists who made treatments like CAR-T therapy a reality. I climb for the patients who are still in the fight and for the families who are holding on to hope. I climb because, without events like this and the funds raised through them, stories like my Grammy’s might not have the same ending.
The Big Climb is more than a physical event—it’s a mission to save lives and change the future for everyone affected by blood cancers. Every step I take is a thank-you to those who helped Grammy survive and a prayer for those who are still waiting for their miracle.
If Grammy can face the fight of her life with courage, I can certainly climb these stairs with determination. Her journey reminds me that every step matters, whether it’s on a staircase or in the progress toward curing cancer.
Please consider joining me in this mission by making a donation to The Big Climb. Together, we can fund the research that saves lives, the treatments that bring hope, and the futures that everyone deserves.
This climb is for Grammy and for all the warriors out there. Let’s take it one step closer to a cure.
Nov 18, 2024
Welcome To My Fundraising Page.
Please join me in supporting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) by making a donation to my fundraising campaign. Thanks to your support, my efforts, will help fund the therapies and treatments and help save lives today.
LLS's continued advancements over the years, are responsible for the blood cancer survival rate doubling and tripling; in some cases, the survival rate has even quadrupled.
And many LLS supported therapies not only help blood cancer patients but are now used to treat patients with rare forms of stomach and skin cancers. They're even being tested in clinical trials for patients with a range of cancers including lung, brain, breast, pancreatic and prostate cancers. LLS funded drugs are now being tested for patients with other non-cancerous diseases like Diabetes, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Multiple Sclerosis.
We really are changing the face of blood cancer!
All donations are greatly appreciated and are tax deductible. They'll not only support LLS research but patient services, advocacy, public and professional education, and community services as well.
Please visit my Web site often and bring friends who would also like to donate!
On behalf of blood cancer patients everywhere I thank you for your support!
For more information about LLS, please visit lls.org
