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2013 HONORED HERO

Inspiration and Courage

Many of our participants carry the light of hope for someone in their lives who has been touched by blood cancer. Each year, Light The Night selects an individual to serve as our Honored Hero.

Shawna Thissen It was two weeks after my 25th birthday that I was diagnosed with primary mediastinal diffuse large b-cell non-Hodgkin?s Lymphoma. I had just started a new career, was preparing for a wedding in three months and was in the middle of building a home. At that moment my life went down a different path. Instead of walking down the aisle, I walked down the halls at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Six chemotherapy treatments and 25 rounds of proton therapy radiation to my chest and back later, I was pronounced in remission. During those treatments I still got the chance to marry the man of my dreams and felt pretty lucky. I went back to work and started putting my life back together when I received the scan results that there was now a tumor growing in the lining of my heart. I was rushed to complete two additional rounds of harsh chemotherapy followed by an autologous stem cell transplant. I'm proud to say that was in September 2010 and I am now in remission!  I made it through treatment because of a team. A team consisting of incredible family and friends held up by The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. LLS was behind me not only with a wealth of knowledge second to none, but also monetarily when needed. I was able to fight harder and focus on my health and family knowing LLS was, and is, doing everything they can to find a cure. I am proud to be associated with an organization that provides hope, strength and courage to those when they feel there is none. In my story I hope to give a voice to yours, Shawna

Alana Ibarra In July 2011, at age 4, Alanna was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL).  Over the next few months she endured intense rounds of chemotherapy and other drug combinations.  Alanna and her family are looking forward to September 18, 2013 when she will receive the final phase of her treatment.  They remain hopeful that treatment and prayers will cure her. ALL is the most common form of childhood leukemia.    Through the efforts of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) the survivorship of a child with ALL is 80%.  With your continued support of LLS's Light the Night Walk you are ensuring that someday there will be a world without blood cancer.  Someday is Today!