Sadie Smith

On August 14, 2008 Sadie was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome and Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML).  The doctors explained that with her having Down Syndrome she would respond better to the chemotherapy (it is unknown why this is, but studies have proven it to be true).  Sadie received chemotherapy for her condition at Blair E. Batson Children?s Hospital in Jackson, Mississippi.  She finished her chemotherapy in March of 2009 and is now in remission.

Troy Eli Wiltshire

Troy is a true Mississippi boy. While deer and turkey hunting are some of his passions, leukemia has interrupted his life.  Troy was diagnosed with AML (Acute Myelogenous Leukemia) on July 25, 2008.  After receiving chemotherapy, radiation and an unrelated bone marrow transplant, he is now celebrating his one year post transplant anniversary.  And he has much to celebrate with his wife and two year old daughter Kaylyn Rose! 

Donald O'Briant 

Don spent much of his career in the retail grocery industry from California to Florida in numerous management and leadership positions. However, his internal passion was to become an educator in the public school system. He returned to Hattiesburg, Mississippi in 2007 with the intent on achieving this dream. During a 2009 Emergency Room visit after a particularly difficult week, a diagnosis of Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL) altered his future and redefined his reality. Currently, while he is still receiving treatments on an outpatient basis, he is expected to reach remission in July of 2010. From a sharecroppers son in the delta of Mississippi to a Leukemia survivor, he is focused and committed on finding and facilitating a cure