Each year, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) launches its “Visionaries of the Year” fundraising campaign, and this year I have been honored to be nominated as a candidate. I am writing today to ask for your support of LLS’s mission in its efforts to find cures for blood cancers and to assist patients and families as they battle this disease.
From February 27th – May 10th, my goal is to raise $20,000 which will go directly to LLS in support of its longstanding goal: a world without blood cancers. If we reach our goal, we can connect our team’s name to an LLS-funded research portfolio to honor our efforts.
I have two personal stories I’d like to share with you.
I never had the privilege of meeting my father-in-law, Gary Tashjian. John’s father, Gary, was a member of the New York Stock Exchange, a little league coach, a father of three and a doting husband to his wife, Evelyn. He passed away at the young age of 38 of hodgkin lymphoma when John, the eldest of three boys, was only 11. His incredibly strong mother continued to raise three wonderful boys while Gary’s bravery and strength lived on within each of them. I often look at my husband in the most ordinary of times and marvel at his zest for life. It is undeniable that his generosity, determination and compassion to be the best husband, father, brother, son and friend comes from lessons learned from both his widowed mother and his late father in those 11 formidable years and beyond. I can only imagine how proud Gary would be of Evelyn, his 3 adult children and 7 grandchildren.
Separately and quite recently, if you live in Beaufort, you may have heard of Crew Feltner. Crew is 2 days older than my own daughter, Alexandra. When Crew was 9 months old, he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. I have always felt a special bond with his mother, Ellie given that we became mothers two days apart from one another. I will never be able to comprehend her strength as she watched her own child fight this awful disease. By the grace of God, Crew is now cancer fee. In fact, Crew’s mother, Ellie, is such a warrior for this disease that she retired from her professional career to personally work for LLS. When asked by Crew’s mother to become a candidate for this year’s campaign, I couldn’t help but say “of course”. I now have an opportunity to honor my father-in-law’s legacy and his fight against this disease, as well as support the bright future of those children as fortunate as Crew.
Thank you in advance for your support!
