The great thing about the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, to whom all my donations will go, is that it’s one of the most efficiently managed non-profits in the country, with a minimum of 76 cents of every dollar spent directly on mission-related activities.
So how does that help people fighting cancer? Here’s a brief overview…
Patient Services: LLS has chapter offices throughout the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. (The chapter through whom I am running for Team in Training is the Southern Florida chapter, which serves Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward, Collier, and Lee Counties in Florida, as well as Puerto Rico).
Each office provides life-enhancing patient services and programs, including support groups, peer counseling, and financial aid. LLS also hosts numerous webcasts and telephone education events, featuring the latest research, treatment, and clinical trials findings from medical experts.
LLS Information Specialists are masters-level oncology professionals who provide the most current information on blood cancers and clinical trials, free of charge. (If you or someone you know is fighting blood cancer, you can reach an Information Specialist at 800-955-4572, or visit lls.org.)
Local Funding and Aid: As I mentioned before, the Southern Florida Chapter serves Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward, Collier, and Lee Counties in the state, as well as Puerto Rico. It’s one of 59 chapters in the U.S. and Canada.
The chapter supports local researchers at the University of MIami’s Sylvester cancer center each year. Up-to-date educational materials are sent free of charge to local individuals and health care professionals in hospitals, agencies, and libraries.
In addition, the chapter provides up to $100 per person per year for outpatient expenses to patients in the area. Family support groups have also been established throughout the counties and Puerto Rico and are facitilitated by volunteers and nurses.
So, all that said….
…What does a $25, $50, or $100 (or higher) donation buy?
- A donation of $25 provides patients and their loved ones with free booklets that contain up-to-date information on their disease and help them make informed decisions about their treatment options.
- A donation of $50 makes possible a family support group with a trained facilitator, where comfort can be found and experiences can be shared among patients and family members.
- A donation of $100 helps supply laboratory researchers with supplies and materials critical to carrying out their search for cures and provides patient aid to a person with leukemia or a related cancer for a year.
- A donation of $1000 makes possible one-on-one conversations with health care specialists who provide patients with information about their disease, treatment options, and helps prepare them with questions for their health care team.
The great news is that the research is working!
Research programs of LLS are based on the belief that all scientifically sound approaches toward a cure for, or control of, leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma should be encouraged on a worldwide basis. More than 388 grantees and 124 institutions of research are working to advance the understanding, treatment, and prevention of blood cancer.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society-sponsored research has been the catalyst for effective treatments of Hodgkin’s disease, lymphomas, and other common kinds of cancer, including stomach, breast, and lung cancer.
We are now on the threshold of a new era. The hope is that with accelerated funding for research, all blood cancers will be curable by 2015. The commitment to cutting-edge science has contributed to an unprecedented rise in survival rate for some blood cancers.
The relative five-year survival rate for people with leukemia, for example, has tripled in the past 40 years. Meanwhile, Hodgkin lymphoma is now considered one of the most curable forms of cancer, thanks to radiation, chemotherapy, or a combination of the two.
