A message from Shakkiah:
I’m running my campaign in honor of my mom. As some of you may know, when I was 17 years old, my mom had a blood clot that brought her to the hospital where she was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder. The doctors didn’t know much about her specific blood disorder, and it was first treated like Leukemia, then Sickle Cell Disease and now fast forward to 15 years later and they still don’t have a specific diagnosis for her. I remember being so frustrated as a teenager that my mom was sick and spent way too many nights at the hospital. My mom recently moved to Atlanta for her care where she is still on medications, receiving blood transfusions, and currently battling seizures…and I’m still frustrated. My mom deserves a diagnosis and specific treatment catered to her diagnosis.
We were so thankful that LLS was there to provide us with resources but there is still so much more work that needs to be done. I am proud to share that LLS is leaving no stone unturned in the fight for equity in healthcare and this includes:
Making sure EVERY patient has access to clinical trials
Preventing discrimination against cancer patients on the basis of race, color, and other factors
Ensuring robust data collection in healthcare that allows us to better understand our progress in addressing racism—and the work that remains
I believe that through better access to clinical trials and better access to healthcare we can hopefully get answers to someone like my mom much sooner.
My team’s goal is to raise $50,000 between March 30thand June 10th. It’s a lofty goal, but I know with the support of my community we can make it happen and I need your help. There are a few ways you can support my fundraising efforts:
Donate via my personal fundraising page:https://pages.lls.org/voy/wi/wi23/dcurtis
Share my message & fundraising link with your contacts via email or social media
Donate a silent auction item that can be used for the Grand Finale Gala auction
Help me secure a corporate sponsorship(Sponsorships start at $5,000 and sponsors receive Gala benefits)
Thank you for your generosity and support. Your donation truly makes a difference and with your help, we’re one step closer to a cure for blood cancers.