WORCESTER – Lanterns illuminated Downtown Worcester Thursday night with over 100 residents marching to shed a light on the struggles of those battling Leukemia their families.
“Every light is a story. Some are stories of survivors and some are stories of other things.” Cytiva Human Resources Director Anita Desai said while speaking to the crowd.
The event was the first in a series of nationwide Light The Night rallies planned in cities across the country.
The goal of the Worcester event was tp raise $145,000 to support blood cancer research. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society hopes to raise a total of $4 million across New England with similar rallies.
“In the blood cancer space we have a lot more work to be done but the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is really dedicated not only better treatments but also to improving the survivorship of patients and their families,” said Tera Rivard of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. “Now that we’ve made so many wonderful research advancements more folks are surviving longer and we want to support them through that whole journey.”
According to Rivard, a new person is diagnosed with a blood disorder every 3 minutes in the United States, accounting for over 185,000 diagnoses per year.
