Afi (Afsaneh) Armin's Team In Training Page
Going the Distance to Save Lives and to Keep Cancer Fighters Strong!
Welcome to my Team In Training home page.
I just joined the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training to be trained for a full Triahtlon in Aug 2008. This is indeed a huge challenge trying to attempt to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and run 26.2 miles all in one day :)
No. I have not lost my mind. what makes this journey exciting and fun and the goal achieavable is the the hope and possibilities of saving lives.
Why LLS? This is a phenomenal organization working towards curing leukemia and other blood cancers (lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma). All three involve malignant changes to blood cells in the bone marrow or lymphatic tissues. These changes, which result in the rapid growth and accumulation of cancerous blood cells, interfere with the production of healthy blood cells, compromising the body’s ability to protect itself from infection. No one knows for sure what causes blood cancers, but they are believed to stem from an acquired genetic injury to the DNA of a single cell which then becomes malignant.
The need is critical:
- Leukemia is the number one cancer killer of children and young adults under age 20.
- Eleven times as many adults as children are stricken with leukemia annually.
- More than 786,000 Americans have leukemia, Hodgkin or non-Hodgkin lymphoma or myeloma.
- Every five minutes, someone new is diagnosed; every 10 minutes, someone dies from blood cancer.
- In Northern California, the Society estimates that 14,000 people are living with blood cancers.
If you are interested to get more information, please visit LLS at: Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's web site
I'm completing this event in honor of all individuals who are battling blood cancers as well as in memory of “Baba Shari”, a gentle man who was like a grandpa to my sons and a second father to me. People who are fighting cancer are the real heroes on our team, and we need your support to cross the ultimate finish line - a cure!
Your donation to support my participation in Team In Training will go a long way in helping advance the Society's mission. Please note that 100% of your donation is tax deductible and over 75% of it goes directly to patient services and research. Past research, made possible through individual contributions, has led to great strides in the fight against leukemia, lymphoma and other blood-related illnesses. Unfortunately, much more help is needed since of the estimated 107,000 individuals diagnosed with leukemia and lymphoma each year 60,000 do not survive.
Twenty years ago, 3 out of 4 children who developed leukemia died from it. Today the number is 1 out of 4. Repeated successes with LLS-sponsored research show that your contributions work!
Thanks in advance for your support!
With all my love,
Afi
P.S. Please come back frequently to check on my progress, and see the list of honorees.
