Elli Wolpe’s Words of Inspiration

I want to share with you the words of an inspirational speaker at one of our recent events.  Her words are powerful and provide a reminder that we do make a difference in the lives of others.

Elli Wolpe, herself a cancer survivor, became part of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society family when her husband David was diagnosed with follicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma. She is now one of our Team In Training® (TNT) participants. Here is a portion of her speech from the San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Pasta Party.

I remember reading once that when people tell the story of an event that changed their lives, they often begin with the words: “It was a day that started just like any other day…”

The same is true for us. It was a day that started just like any other day when I got a follow up call after my annual exam. I was 31 and a new mother. And I had cancer. It changed my life forever. But I was one of the lucky ones, it was caught early and I survived.

It was a day like any other day when my husband, David, had a grand mal seizure. We learned it was caused by a brain tumor that was removed in a 10-hour surgery. But he was one of the lucky ones. It was benign and he survived.

It was a day like any other day when, just two a half years later, David found a swollen lymph node that led to the diagnosis of follicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Luckily, the chemo worked and he went into remission. But being in remission is not the same thing as being cured. In January, he got the last of his Rituxan®, a monoclonal antibody that was developed in part by funding from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Now we play the waiting game. Because incurable means it’s coming back. Only we don’t know when. All we know is that it will be on a day just like any other day…

Your support for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society matters – to my husband, my daughter, myself… You are changing the world for people like us.

To learn more about LLS, please visit us at www.LLS.org.