Reading Team Participates In Leukemia Lymphoma Society Light The Night

READING, MA — Leukemia Lymphoma Society Light the Night Walk is coming up on Oct. 19. The organization is asking for residents' help.

More information on the organization and the event is included in the following press release from Linda Snow Dockser:

In 2007, my mom, Barbara Snow, was diagnosed with Leukemia and after three months of painful treatments, blood infections, and waning strength, she left us with a huge hole in our lives. My brother and sister, Nancy and Michael Snow, their spouses David Owens and Elizabeth Lemons, along with me and my husband Mark Dockser all raised our families in Reading. Attending all of her 7 grandchildren’s activities, Grammy Barbara became part of the social fabric here. She was the center of our world and a light in our lives until Leukemia tortured and stole her away. Experiencing this devastating loss inspired my niece Abigail Lemons to establish Grammy Barbara’s Light the Night (LTN) Team.

Linda's Light the Night Fundraiser

LLS “is a global leader in the fight against blood cancer. The LLS mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world, provides free information and support services, and is the voice for all blood cancer patients seeking access to quality, affordable, coordinated care.”

So far, Grammy Barbara’s Team has raised over $122,000 to help fund research to find a cure, improve treatments, and support families like ours through the life-changing blood cancer diagnosis.

How The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Helps

The LLS provided our family with parking subsidies for countless trips to Boston Hospitals and when in doubt, we could call LLS for information or support. Unfortunately, Dr. Anna Ornstein’s mother Sofie Brunn did not have LLS support. She had survived multiple Concentration Camps, started an orphanage for the children of those who perished, only to be killed by leukemia. In her mother’s memory, Dr. Ornstein is donating her book “Through my Mother’s Eyes” to those who donate over $72 through Grammy Barbara’s Team.

Victoria Alexander: a 2-year-old's brave battle

In 2012, Diane Alexander, also from Reading, introduced me to “Team Victoria” created in memory of her daughter, Victoria, who lost her battle with Leukemia at age 2. Over 20 years, they raised over $25,000 to give back to an organization that was a great help to them and to enable LLS to continue helping others. Diane wrote:

“This organization holds a very special place in our family's hearts as we directly benefited from LLS during our daughters eight month stay for treatment of leukemia at Children’s Hospital in Boston. Out of the eight months, Victoria spent only about two – three weeks at home.

“Victoria Rose Alexander was our first born. She was a healthy baby coming into this world weighing 7 lbs 15 oz… At the age of 16th months, she developed what seemed to be a common virus of a high fever and vomiting. After 24 hours of not holding down liquids, we brought her to the ER at Children’s Hospital... Over the course of the next five weeks, we took her twice a week for blood work. She then started developing bruises in odd places and her blood work started going haywire. Lethargy was setting in from anemia. On May 30th 1995, she was scheduled to have a bone marrow aspirate at Children’s. Our worst fears were confirmed: a diagnosis of Acute Mylocytic Leukemia #7 (the rarest form and most difficult leukemias to treat). After a harrowing eight months of chemotherapy and its effects, Victoria sadly succumbed to a deadly lung infection. Her bone marrow was clean of cancer.

“During our stay at Children’s Hospital, a staff member mentioned that the LLS offers financial assistance to families to help with the hardships faced when going through treatment. The Society in result was able to pay for cost of parking of almost $1000.

“This is just one of the many ways the LLS helps families facing their world being completely turned upside down by a life-threatening illness. Research, medical expenses not covered by insurance, educational materials, meals, and yes parking are just a few of the many ways the Society helps support patients and their families affected by blood related disorders.

“Although we have been blessed with three healthy vibrant children since losing our beloved Victoria, there will always be an empty place at the table, a graduation she never got to attend, a boy never to kiss, and a wedding aisle never to walk down. We miss her dearly and pray that someday no one will suffer the pain of losing their child to cancer.”

Hope from Research

Cancer is cruel, but there is hope! Two years after Grammy Barbara died, I met a grandmother at the Light the Night Walk. She had been given the exact same diagnosis as my mom, was the same age, and had the same prognosis. However, thanks to trial research, she had been given a new treatment and was as a result “cancer-free”. She was surrounded by family who were also fundraising. That could have been my mom just two years later! This is why Team Victoria and Grammy Barbara’s Team have worked so hard to fund research. And it is working...

My friend, Vicki Katzman, survived her war with Leukemia thanks to a treatment originally researched via LLS funding. For years, Grammy Barbara’s Team has been celebrating her birthday and her survival at the LTN walk. She, like so many others, however, is suffering from the after-effects of her treatments. LLS not only strives to find a cure, it also funds research to improve treatments - and treatments are getting less caustic and more generalized to help treat other cancers! (https://www.lls.org) In fact, the targeted cell therapy first funded by LLS is now being used to combat ovarian cancer which took my mother-in-law Cheryl Dockser last October.

It is clear that together we can make a difference! To ensure faster progress, LLS policy encourages collaboration NOT patents that restrict sharing. “Over 70% of the FDA-approved blood cancer treatments since 2016 were funded by the LLS! And more in the last few months!” (LLS.org) With research results shared, progress happens faster. For so many reasons like this, last year I joined the Executive Challenge Team to raise more funding.

We have appreciated the donations of so many people, including the donations of redeemable bottles and cans. Every nickel adds up! We have raised over $1200 in nickels! Every donation helps, no matter what size!

Please help us put an end to this pain and loss. To donate, please click on: https://pages.lls.org/ltn/ma/BostonL23/ldockser.