Adults

I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1998 at the age of 38. My participation in a clinical trial included a stem cell transplant, five chemotherapy sessions, and full-body radiation treatments. I am an advocate for participation in clinical trials, which paves the way for new treatments or prevention methods.

My story is truly about the little family that could. In 2002, I felt I had it all: a loving partner, a new job offer, and plans to start a family. Upon my return from a business trip in May, that feeling shifted as a large lump appeared on the side of my neck. Several doctor visits, tests, and sleepless nights later, I received a phone call on the way to a meeting from a doctor.

Jennifer Flowers of Hayward, CA, was diagnosed with myeloma in 2008 and today, while still on treatment and in remission, she is now an active Community Outreach volunteer in California for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) groundbreaking program, Myeloma Link, helping others who have been in her shoes.

In 2017, after 44 years of working in the railroad industry, Paul Sauter was just starting to enjoy his retirement when his health started to decline out of nowhere. Typically, he was in extremely good shape and enjoyed long hikes with his wife, Lynn. One day, while on a mountain climb trip in Arizona, Lynn was concerned when she noticed Paul was not his usual athletic self.

In 1985, 10-year-old Jennifer took to the stage to accept The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) “Employee of the Year” award for her mother, Teresa McVay, who had lost her battle against chronic myelogenous leukemia earlier that year. That was Jennifer’s first time speaking on stage, but it would not be her last.

Heather draws her inspiration from her good friend, who has been fighting non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma for the past 10 years and her college best friend who is a survivor. She is motivated by her friends’ strength, determination, and positivity. In times of feeling helpless, she channels that energy and puts it into her sewing machine.