My Fundraising Page

Welcome to my Light The Night Walk homepage.

Dear friends,

I'm raising money for a very important cause: finding better treatments and cures for blood cancers so patients can live better, longer lives through The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Light The Night Walk. I'm asking you to help by making a contribution or joining our team! Please use the links in this email to join or donate online quickly & securely. I thank you in advance for your support which will make a difference in the lives of thousands of patients battling blood cancers.

I am a member of Team HOPE, which was created through the collaborative efforts of HOPE and the Florida Bar Law Student Division. More importantly, I am walking for Light the Night in honor of my good friend, Jeff, a survivor of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

After graduating from Vanderbilt, Jeff volunteered with Teach for America in a high school in McAllen Texas. In March 2007, Jeff was preparing his high school students for their upcoming AP World History exam when he started experiencing severe stomach pains. It was his second year as a Teach for America volunteer.

Jeff could barely eat and was in so much pain that he could only describe it as something out of a horror movie, as though something inside of him was trying to dig its way out. After three weeks Jeff was diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma, an aggressive form of cancer. Within days, he received his first week-long round of chemotherapy. Jeff had no choice but to cut his Teach for America service short and returned to Colorado Springs, his hometown, for treatment.

Every three weeks Jeff received 5-day long treatments in the hospital where his body was continuously flushed with chemicals. These sessions were so draining that it was only as his next round of treatments were to be begin that Jeff began to feel capable of being active again. This cycle repeated for six months.

With his chemotherapy behind him, Jeff has moved on with his life and is working toward achieving his goals. Today, Jeff is a thriving second year UM law student who has a positive outlook on life and is committed to public service and promoting cancer awareness. This summer Jeff received an ABA fellowship and worked in the Florida panhandle to bring suit against a company attempting to dump pollutants into Florida's Perdido Bay. He also serves on UM Law's Public Interest Leadership Board and as Chair of the Florida Bar Law Student Division Pro Bono Committee. He is the leader of our Light the Night team.

In 1954 the average cure rate for most non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, like the one Jeff had, was only 5%. Now, thanks to advances in science, Burkitt's non-Hodgkin's lymphoma has a survivorship rate of nearly 80%. The money raised through efforts like Light the Night really does make a difference in both the research it funds and the patient advocacy and outreach programs it supports.

As Jeff's friend I am invested in the success of the Light the Night Walk. I hope you will help Team HOPE to find better treatment and cures for wonderful people like Jeff!

I really appreciate your generosity!!

Donate here: http://pages.lightthenight.org/sfl/Merrick09/MMannello

Join our team: http://www.lightthenight.org/register/reg/#action=join_team;teamName=Team%20H.O.P.E;teamID=145537;eventName=Coral%20Gables%202009;eventLocation=Merrick%20Park;eventDate=10/24/09

Thank you,

Mady

P.S. Please forward this email to as many people as you can to encourage them to donate as well!

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Light The Night Walk is The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's evening walk and fundraising event. It is the nation's night to pay tribute and bring hope to thousands of people battling blood cancers and to commemorate loved ones lost.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) funds lifesaving research that has contributed to major advances in the treatment of blood cancers and treatments for other types of cancer, such as chemotherapy and stem cell transplants. These treatments have helped patients live better, longer lives. New targeted therapies that kill cancer cells without harming normal tissue are providing drugs and procedures that are improving quality of life.

• 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.

• A donation of $1,000 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.

Please make a donation to support my participation in the Light The Night Walk and help save lives. Be sure to check my Web site frequently to see my progress, and thanks for your support!