voluntary organizations (beware: plug ahead)

as part of my membership with the leukemia & lymphoma society, i’m trying to raise over $1,500 for the light the night walk on october sixth. to help, or just learn more, please visit my donations website.

the leukemia & lymphoma society, the world’s largest voluntary health organization, is exemplary of the power of philanthropy. the society’s founders, who had lost their son to leukemia in 1944, were frustrated at the lack of effective treatments for the disease. convinced that the disease was curable, they started the organization several years later to raise research funds.

since its inception the society has granted over $360 million to medical researchers and has provided valuable services to patients, families, and communities. in the 1940s, leukemia had a shocking 100% fatality rate. today the prognosis is not cheerful, but nearly half of all patients live at least five years after their diagnoses. although correlation is certainly not causation here, the society has done immeasurable good in raising research funds –and awareness- for the disease and should take no small part of the credit for this jump.

in my experience with blood cancers, it’s amazing how far we still have to go. it’s heartening that private citizens have organized voluntarily to help fight this disease and its deleterious effects on the patient, family, and community.