Welcome to my Light The Night Walk homepage.

Date/Location of the Walk: Saturday, October 22, 2011 in Verona Park, Verona, NJ

Hello Family and Friends,

For the third year in a row, we are celebrating my LIFE at the annual Light the Night Walk (“LTN”) put together by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (“LLS”).

I am grateful to be alive and know I could not have done it without the grace of God, my awesome doctors and nurses, my wonderful family and friends and research funded by LLS. I am not yet 100%, but I am getting there step by step. It has been a long year, but I got through it and I am excited what this new chapter of my life has in store for me.

A little over a year ago, a good Samaritan donated his stem cells so that I could get a second chance on life. After receiving the transplant everything was going well and after about 4 weeks I was discharged. Within a week, what started out as a little rash and exploded into Acute GVHD (Graph Versus Host Disease) with blisters all over my body. Needless to say, it was not a good time for me and I really thought I was going to die. After a month of agony, I was discharged and found myself having to depend on others to even take a shower, but through it all, I made it.

In addition to my own battle with cancer, this year Team Gaffney is participating again in honor of:

• my special aunt Nivia Pantoja who bravely battled with Multiple Myeloma, but lost the fight in December of 2004.
• my dear friend Rosaly’s sister, Luz de Alba Galan, who lost her battle with Leukemia in

September 2010.

• a very special lady in my life, my godmother Niurka Vazquez. In March of this year she was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. She just finished her second chemo cycle out of six cycles of treatment.

With your help last year, Team Gaffney raised over $16,000 for the fight against blood cancers. Participating in LTN is important for raising awareness and funds to fight for blood cancer. Also, this beautiful ceremony will occur just after my third year initial diagnosis and it’s a great way to celebrate my continued well being and engraftment from a very generous person out there! Praise God!

By donating to LLS your money will be used for research to help find a cure for blood cancers. I am happy God is giving me the strength to fight on and along with your help raise funds for the great organization of LLS. If you are able to become a bone marrow donor, please do so, look at me because of a good Samaritan I am here to enjoy my life, my husband, my son, my family and friends.

Please donate whatever you can. There isn’t an amount too small to help in fighting blood cancers. All contributions are tax-deductible. Additionally, if you are able to join Team Gaffney, we’d love your help to spread the word, help raise donations, and walk with us for the Light the Night Walk.

God bless you for your help and contribution to a great cause.

Anna, Tom and TJ