Making Strides Towards The Cures
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| This is a photo of me standing in the middle of the Rocky Mountain National Park in February 2006 |
My name is Liam Abramson and on the 30th September, 2006, I will be hiking into the Grand Canyon as the final stage of a fundraising effort for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. For the next 17-weeks, rain or shine, I will be hiking many, many miles to prepare for the challenges of the Grand Canyon. However, this is nothing compared to the challenges others have to meet every day and I am doing all of this for two very special and inspirational people:
My friend and colleague Milton Mermikedes is an amazing person! In his own words, “On 22nd November 2004, I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. I decided then and there that I was going to fight this disease with positivity and optimism, and the idea of documenting and sharing my experience via a website quickly evolved. Thus, exactly three weeks after my diagnosis, MiltCentral.com was born!” If you do nothing else following reading the rest of this webpage and making a donation, you MUST take a look at www.miltcentral.com. It will change your life! I am happy to report that Milton is doing well and is, once again, enjoying life to the full.
My friend James Hathorn also lived life to the full. There was never a dull moment. Never an idle period and always a thirst for exploration, imagination and constant activity. The overriding image I will always have of James is one of pure energy. When he spoke, when he had an idea or when he set his mind to some task or activity, whether it be work or a hobby, what followed was a whirlwind of infectious energy. And, in so doing, he energised all those around him. He always seemed to be in a state of movement and when he really got the bit between his teeth, there was no stopping him. James never failed to make anyone laugh. He could be deadpan or display an incredible sense of self-irony. Whatever it was, his amazing humour always shone through and even at his lowest points, his wit somehow managed to squeeze through the pain. James died of cancer on September 22nd 2003, and is missed by his friends, family, wife and son.
Hike for discovery is a non-profit endurance training program that benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. However, I’ve set my sights higher than just training to hike into the Grand Canyon – I also aim to raise at least $3900 (£2100) to help find a cure for blood cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma, myloma and Hodgkin’s disease. In the United States alone, approximately 114,530 new cases of blood cancers will be diagnosed this year and 54,480 patients will die. If that figure sounds high, just take a moment to reflect on the fact that blood cancer accounts for only 8% of the 1.4 million new cancer cases of any type that will be diagnosed this year in the USA alone!
And this is where I need your help! I need you to help me reach my fundraising goal. 75% of every dollar and pound you donate goes directly towards research and patient services. And every dollar and pound really does help so please make a donation and help raise more by forwarding the information about this webpage onto as many people as you can. Together we can make this happen!!
Thank you very much for taking the time to read my fundraising page and for giving so generously. I hope you'll visit my web site often, so that you can see how my training and fundraising efforts are going. Thank you once again for your support!
Liam
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