Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light The Night Walk Oct. 15
Friends, families, children of all ages, and coworkers will come together Saturday, Oct. 15, for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Chester County Light The Night Walk® at Wilson Farm Park in Wayne.
Light The Night is an inspirational and memorable evening. During the two mile leisurely walk, participants carry illuminated lanterns – white for survivors, red for supporters, and gold in memory of loved ones lost to cancers. Thousands of walkers will form a community of support, care, and love, bringing light into the dark world of cancer.
Kristen Presser of Broomall will walk with her team, PressOn for Michael, made up of her friends and family in-honor of her son, Michael, who was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) last September. Michael was 7 years old at the time and died a few days after his diagnosis.
“Michael was so strong that we had no idea he was as sick as he was. When preparing for his first chemotherapy treatment, the doctors discovered he was experiencing intracranial hemorrhaging,” said Presser.
The doctors tried to get the bleeding and swelling in his brain under control. However, it became clear that Michel was not responding. Presser said good bye to her beloved Michel knowing that he was surrounded by love and those who loved him the most.
“It is important to raise money for LLS in the hope that we can save other families from having to go through the pain that we have all endured,” said Presser. “Michael loved life and having fun, so he would truly enjoy all of us walking together.”
There is no fundraising minimum to participate in the Light The Night, but every walker is encouraged to become a Champion For Cures by raising $100 or more. Nationally, participants raise an average of $250.
“Light The Night gives hope to patients and their families and lets them know that they are not alone in their battle against cancer,” said Ellen Rubesin, LLS executive director. “It is a night to pay tribute to lives touched by cancer, honor those we have lost, and celebrate the lives that have been saved.”
To become part of Light The Night, call the Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter at 800-482-2873 or visit www.lightthenight.org/epa.
To learn more, visit www. LLS.org or contact the Information Resource Center at 800-955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.