LLS Campaign Letter

Just wanted to share the letter that I wrote to the participating Man & Woman of the Year Candidates~

Dear Candidates,

First, we want to extend our appreciation for the fact that you have decided to run for Man, Woman & Teen of the Year; we know that, in making this decision, you are sacrificing a great deal of time, energy and resources. There may have been a combination of motivating factors that moved you to run in this campaign, I just hope that one of them is the contribution you can make to Blood Cancer Research and the Hope that one day there will be a Cure.

I am sure that there will be times when this campaign gets tiring or when things do not turn out exactly as you had planned; in those times, just remember that there are people, in that moment, who were just diagnosed with a blood cancer . . . allow this thought to inspire you, to move you in the direction you intended, to overcome whatever obstacle may be in your way.

Our daughter, Erica, was born on August 3, 2006 and only four months later we were asked, by the UC Davis Pediatric ICU Attending Physician to walk with him to an office down a long hallway at 3 AM. In a caring yet certain manner, he proceeded to tell us that Erica had Leukemia. Before Erica arrived, we heard many times the old adage, “having a baby changes everything” and in our case, nothing could have been further from the truth. When we heard those words from the physician on December 12, 2006, life as we knew it was over . . . and the steps to keep our daughter alive were set into motion.

Erica was a warrior throughout her treatment, her spirit rarely faltered and he smile rarely waned. We were in continuous awe of her endurance; the continuous infusions, the recurring infections, the side-effects of the drugs, the procedures and pokes, the sleepless nights and rounds of radiation, through it all we were humbled in her presence. There were times, I will be honest, when hope was hard to find and the mid-night of doubt fell upon our shoulders but then, there would be small “win”, a little piece of good news, and then slowly we would see again, the light at the end of the tunnel. This is the roller coaster of cancer treatment, it is a series of ups and downs, twists and turns, it is unknown and, at times, beautifully surprising.

Today, Erica is a thriving, beautiful, three and a half year old. Today she is the recipient of an unrelated bone marrow donor transplant. Today she is a preschooler, a dancer, a runner, an artist, a singer and a swimmer. Today she is alive and getting stronger everyday.

Everyday we are mindful of her journey, that it will be another seven years before she will be considered “cancer-free”. Everyday we are reminded that there are children who did not have the same outcome from their blood cancer. And everyday we feel blessed.

Thank you, again, for your commitment to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and for the impact that will surely be made by your efforts. Have fun and enjoy, we look forward to seeing you at the finale.

In great appreciation,
Megan

The Livesey Family