Welcome to my Light The Night Walk homepage.

Last year was an amazing first year for Team Super Sammy. We raised over $8000 and many of you came to Walk for the Cure with us. We cannot thank you enough.

This year, Sammy has been named Honored Patient for the Light The Night Walk. This truly is an honor and marks a very special year for us as we hope Sammy will be walking cancer free and off treatment by November 5th!

Once off treatment, Sammy will continue to be monitored each month by his amazing team of doctors at Montefiore Children's Hospital. He will also be monitored for Late Effects: adverse reactions to the chemo and radiation for many years to come.

Thanks to the money raised for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, treatment has improved the 'cure' rate for many blood cancers. Children like Sammy can now look forward to a future. In addition, money is also used to find less toxic treatments for cancer with the hope that the future of cancer patients remains free of debilitating side effects.

Sammy has come a long way since he reached the Maintenance (final) phase of his treatment. He has attended camp and begun swimming lessons. Sammy's desire to be like his hero, Peter Manos, a five year survivor of the same leukemia, has driven him to pursue sports and live life to the fullest.

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. New targeted therapies that kill cancer cells without harming normal tissue are providing drugs and procedures that are improving quality of life.

In fact, in 2009 alone, LLS researchers were conducting more than 90 clinical trials, a critical step in the development of new treatments and cures that will help patients live better, longer lives.

• 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 our 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!

With love,

Katy