Wicklund Warriors

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Wicklund Warriors

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Survive & Thrive through Leukemia

The Wicklund Warriors' mission is to provide financial and other assistance to individuals and the families of individuals clinically diagnosed with blood cancer.

10/15/2026

When Damin Walton joined the Wicklund Warriors family in 2023, he was facing a diagnosis of Hodgkin's lymphoma. Three years later, he's heading to Overland Park, Kansas, for the International Lineman's Rodeo (October 15–18).

For over 40 years, the competition has brought together skilled linemen to showcase technical expertise and safety practices. Before leaving, Damin stopped by to pick up a 2026 Bad Blood Run shirt to wear while competing.

Staying connected with the people we've helped as they move forward beyond a diagnosis is the most rewarding part of what we do. Good luck in Kansas, Damin—we're cheering you on from New York.

10/08/2026

For most of her life, Sandra has shown up for everyone else.

At 75, that hasn’t changed.

We met Sandra in a quiet study room at the Delaware Avenue Library. She was warm, authentic, and engaging, the kind of person you could easily linger with because the conversation flowed naturally.

Sandra is a Deaconess and choir member at Metro Baptist Church. She helps administer scholarships, stock the food pantry, and support missions in Africa.

She is also active with the Empire State Federation of Women’s Clubs. Through her chapter, Sandra helps provide holiday meals, backpacks, coats for kids, and other support to families in her community.

Before retiring, she spent 38 years with the NYS Office of Children and Family Services. She loved her work and still misses the people.

Service is simply part of who Sandra is. And now, Sandra needs people to show up for her.

In March, she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.

She knew something wasn’t right when she couldn't catch her breath doing simple things. Like walking through the mall. Then her leg started to give out. Finally, her sister told her enough was enough. Go to the doctor.

Since April, Sandra has been in treatment. For two weeks at a time, she goes every day for injections in her abdomen. They are painful, cause significant bruising, and leave her exhausted. She gets one week off, then starts again.
But the biggest challenge may still be ahead.

Sandra needs a stem cell transplant at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Currently, no matching donor is in the registry, but her brother Richard, 60, is being screened as a potential donor. Her other brother, Gary, transports her to and from Boston. If a transplant becomes possible, one of her sisters has already committed to serving as her 24/7 caregiver. As one of five siblings, Sandra is fortunate to have a strong support system.

Her story is a reminder of why diverse donor registries matter. Somewhere, the person who could give Sandra, or someone just like her, a chance to keep living may not yet have registered.

Sandra has spent a lifetime showing up for others. We’re grateful for the opportunity to show up for her. 🧡

10/01/2026

Sometimes cancer care starts where you wouldn't expect: the dentist's chair.

Meet Nancy Searl. Nancy is 72, lives in Clifton Park, and has spent much of her life working for the airlines. Eastern. Continental. Delta. And now, United.

After losing her husband, Nancy had to go back to work to pay the bills. So she went back to what she knew.

Five days a week, she starts at 5 a.m., checks in passengers, lifts heavy bags, helps travelers who need assistance get to their flights, and works the gate. She is on her feet until 12:30 p.m... At 72 ... So maybe give your ticket agent a little extra grace the next time you travel. You never know what someone is carrying when they show up for work.

For Nancy, it's multiple myeloma.

It started with severe pain in her groin late last year. Eventually, an MRI revealed a fracture in her pelvis.

Nancy describes the scan this way: "My pelvis looks like Swiss cheese," and the damage didn't stop there.

That's what multiple myeloma can do. It damages and weakens bones, sometimes to the point of fractures. There is currently no cure for multiple myeloma, but treatment can control the disease, often for long periods of time.

Before treatment, Nancy couldn't even make it up her townhouse stairs to reach her bedroom and bathroom. She thought she'd need a stair lift.

Treatment gave her back that mobility.

But another problem stood in her way.

Nancy had significant dental issues that needed to be addressed before her cancer care could safely continue.

That's where Wicklund Warriors stepped in.

We worked directly with Nancy's oral surgeon to negotiate the cost of having the affected teeth removed, and Wicklund Warriors paid for the procedure so Nancy could move forward with her cancer treatment.

Today, she has no back teeth. It's something most of us probably never consider: oral health is physical health, and for someone fighting blood cancer, dental care can become part of cancer care.

An infected tooth or diseased gums aren't simply uncomfortable. Blood cancer treatments can weaken the immune system, making oral infections more dangerous. Dental problems sometimes need to be treated before cancer therapy can safely move forward.

Think about that for a minute. Nancy needed cancer treatment, but first she needed dental work she couldn't afford.

We helped remove that barrier.

Now we're figuring out the next step: helping Nancy get dentures so she can eat comfortably, keep working, and keep moving forward.

Nancy's story is another reminder of how complicated cancer can be. It isn't just scans, medications, and appointments. It's getting upstairs. It's paying the bills. It's going back to work at 72. It's being able to chew your food.

And sometimes, helping someone fight cancer starts with helping them smile again.

09/24/2026

We’re a little late sharing this one. Life has been busy, both at Wicklund Warriors and in our own lives, but this sweet update was too good not to share. ❤️

You may remember Daniela and her daughter, Milvian. This month, Milvian started kindergarten!

With everything Daniela has been navigating during treatment, we wanted to make sure starting school was one less thing she had to worry about. So we helped outfit Milvian with a new backpack, lunchbox, school supplies, clothes and, of course, some new kicks.

Sometimes helping a family through blood cancer looks like financial assistance. Sometimes it looks like making sure a little girl walks into kindergarten excited and ready for her first day.

We’re pretty happy we get to do both. ❤️

# NoOneFightsAlone

09/17/2026

She’s used to being the nurse. Now she’s the patient. 🩺❤️

Courtney, 36, is a wife and mother to Remy, 7, and Kane, 2. She works as a labor and delivery nurse at Albany Medical Center.

Cancer was already something her family knew too well. Both her mom and sister had faced breast cancer, so Courtney went in for a mammogram. That decision may have changed everything.

The scans revealed something unexpected: a 7 cm mass on her chest wall, just above her heart, along with affected lymph nodes near her lung and collarbone. Courtney was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

Her treatment is intense—chemotherapy by continuous infusion for 5 to 6 days at a time. While doctors hoped the first round might clear 60%, Courtney’s body responded at 70%. But the fight is tough, marked by excruciating bone pain as she pushes toward her PET scan after cycle six.

Meanwhile, her husband Joe, a Senior Public Safety Dispatcher with the Town of Colonie Police Department, is holding down the fort and protecting their little ones.

Because she had recently transitioned from a contract employee to a full-time employee right around the time of her diagnosis, her new employment status impacted her eligibility for disability and benefits, leaving her without pay.

That’s where Wicklund Warriors stepped in. When their car broke down, we reached out to one of our donors, and they arranged for us to take their car to Richard Young Automotive in East Greenbush to get it fixed. When their AC went out in the summer heat, we contacted KD Mechanical Services in Glenmont to fix it so their family could stay cool. Ordinary things become extraordinary lifesavers when you're fighting for your life.

No One Fights Alone. ❤️

Want to help families like Courtney’s? Visit wicklundwarriors.com to donate or share this post to spread awareness!

#518

09/14/2026

Beyond the Finish Line 🧡 Week Three

Last week, Francesca shared that after wrapping up treatment, she completed the LIVESTRONG program at the Saratoga YMCA.

It immediately made me think of this crew. Every year, Team LIVESTRONG from Saratoga Springs shows up to support the Bad Blood Run, and every year, we’re thrilled to see them.

LIVESTRONG at the YMCA is a 12-week program tailored for adult cancer survivors. While it’s designed to rebuild physical strength, its real power lies in community.
Scott Baker has gone through the program multiple times, and whenever he talks about it, the camaraderie stands out above all else—the deep connection of moving alongside people who truly get it.

The program pairs participants with instructors certified in cancer survivorship to create personalized fitness plans. Studies with Yale University and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute confirm its impact: boosted physical activity, higher quality of life, improved fitness, and decreased fatigue.

But photos like this capture what the studies can’t: they became a family.

That team continues to show up for us, traveling from Saratoga Springs to our finish line year after year. First Scott. Then Francesca. And now?

I’m thinking maybe it’s my turn to join in. 🧡

That’s what Beyond the Finish Line is all about.

09/09/2026

“Do you want to live or die?”

It’s a startling question. But for Hazel Douglas, that question changed everything. 🧡

In 2016, Hazel’s symptoms started with excessive nosebleeds. For years, doctors blamed allergies. But by 2023, her energy was fading. A blood panel finally revealed a complex reality: Hazel had both multiple myeloma and Hemoglobin SC disease (a form of sickle cell).

For a long time, Hazel was an active tennis player, walking miles a day and living independently in Atlanta. But as the cancer began to damage her bones, she had to leave her job and move back home to Albany to be with family.

On Easter Sunday—the day before her birthday—she ended up in the ER, receiving bag after bag of blood. That’s where she met a retired doctor volunteering on the floor. He brought light into the dark, and then he got serious: “Do you want to live or die?”

She chose life.

He told her to go to Dana-Farber, and she did. Now, under the care of Dr. Liu in Boston and Dr. Mason at the CR Wood Cancer Center at Glens Falls Hospital, she has finally found her medical team.

But the real hero of her day-to-day journey? Her brother, Cleve.
Cleve packs the cooler. He drives. He waits. He rearranges his life just to say, “I’ll take you.” Glens Falls, Boston, wherever, he's there for her.

Cancer takes time, energy, and resources. Having someone in your corner is everything. Hazel is fighting, advocating for herself, and choosing life every single day.

🧡 No One Fights Alone.

09/03/2026

Beyond the Finish Line 🧡

Last week, we caught up with D**g. This week, it’s Francesca, with a familiar Bad Blood Club face beside her, Kaylee.

We met Francesca in September 2025, a few months after she was diagnosed with Stage IIb Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. At the time, she was in the middle of treatment, balancing chemo, work, bills, and all the uncertainty that comes with a cancer diagnosis.

So this is the kind of update we love to share:

Francesca finished treatment earlier this year and returned to full-time work in March. She also recently completed the LIVESTRONG program at the Y, where she connected with other survivors and focused on getting stronger and feeling like herself again.

And standing next to her? Kaylee.

Kaylee and I crossed paths at Dana-Farber in 2022, then again in 2022 and 2024. Every time I see her, she has a big smile. She might be the favorite teacher at Lake George HS. You can see from the picture that she is thriving.

WAIT! There's more; Francesca’s sister, Jen, also works with Kaylee, and when Francesca was diagnosed, Kaylee became a resource for her.

That might be our favorite part of this picture.

Two women we met at very different points in their blood cancer journeys. Years apart. Connected outside of Wicklund Warriors. And both standing at the Bad Blood Run, doing great!

08/28/2026

Beyond the Finish Line ❤️

Back in February, I shared D**g’s story.

At the time, she was recovering from a stem cell transplant for Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). She and her husband, Charlie, had put their lives on hold to navigate treatment, travel, and raising their twin girls.

So imagine my joy when I looked up at the Bad Blood Run and saw all four of them standing together—each wearing a race bib.

And the update gets even better: D**g’s bone marrow biopsy last month confirmed her AML is officially in remission! 🎉

There are so many reasons I love this photo. But above all, I'm moved that this resilient family chose to spend their evening with us after everything they’ve been through.

Weekly Spotlight 📸
As long as I have photos, I’ll be sharing a weekly highlight of the incredible people who made the Bad Blood Run so special. Honestly, that means every single person who showed up.

08/20/2026

Every quarter, we deliver 20 $50 Stewart’s fuel cards to our nurses at New York Oncology Hematology to put directly into the hands of patients who need them most.

We choose Stewart's Shops for a reason. There is one in nearly every community we serve. It’s a familiar place where people stop for the necessities, and sometimes a little comfort, along the way.

It’s $50 for gas. A simple gesture that can make one more trip to treatment a little easier.

What we especially love are the emails we receive from people we’ve never met, telling us what that fuel card meant on a day when they needed the help.

Thank you to our nurses for knowing who needs it most, and to Stewart’s Shops for being part of the communities our families call home.

Address

Loudonville, NY
12211

Website

http://wicklundwarriors.com/

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