Blood Cancer United - Mississippi & Louisiana

10/08/2026

Join us for Light The Night as we come together to bring hope, strength, and support to the blood cancer community.

Light The Night is Blood Cancer United’s annual community walk and celebration. It brings together families, friends, cancer survivors, and supporters to honor those affected by blood cancer and remember those we have lost.

At dusk, participants carry illuminated lanterns—white for survivors, red for supporters, and gold in memory of loved ones. Funds raised directly support lifesaving research, treatments, and free services for patients and families.

What to Expect:
🎈Bouncy house and face painter
🍴Food and drinks
🎶Live DJ and tailgate games
🐾Dogs are welcome!
🧺Lawn chairs and blankets are encouraged

Whether you’re walking in honor of a loved one, celebrating your own journey, or standing in solidarity with our community, your presence makes a powerful difference.

Link to register in our bio!

10/08/2026

Save the Date!
Join us for Light The Night as we come together to bring hope, strength, and support to the blood cancer community.

Light The Night is Blood Cancer United's annual community walk and celebration. It brings together families, friends, cancer survivors, and supporters to honor those affected by blood cancer and remember those we have lost. At dusk, participants carry illuminated lanterns—white for survivors, red for supporters, and gold in memory of loved ones. Funds raised directly support lifesaving research, treatments, and free services for patients and families.

Event Details:
📅 Sunday, October 18, 2026
⏲️ 5:00pm
📍 Lafreniere Park (3000 Downs Blvd., Metairie, LA 70003)

What to Expect:
🎈Bouncy house and face painter
🍴 Food and drinks
🎶 Live DJ and tailgate games
🐾 Dogs are welcome!
🧺 Lawn chairs and blankets are encouraged

Whether you're walking in honor of a loved one, celebrating your own journey, or standing in solidarity with our community, your presence makes a powerful difference.

👉 Get involved, register, or support a team today: https://lnkd.in/gDaqvyqE

09/26/2026

Valvoline and Blood Cancer United are Driving for a Dream with a special livery on William Byron’s No. 24 for the upcoming race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Designed by Palmer, a 12-year-old blood cancer hero and artist, the colorful beach themed livery represents joy, strength, and resilience.

Take a look at the behind-the-scenes design process of how Emily Butler Lue and Harris Lue of LUE Creative brought Palmer’s vision to life.

09/25/2026

Be Kind to Your Mind 🧘‍♂️🧘‍♀️

Patients, survivors, and caregivers can order a Be Kind to Your Mind wellness box, created with mental well-being in mind. We’re also featured in the September Elephants and Tea September Issue, sharing stories and resources from the blood cancer community.

Check it out and order your box today!
https://bit.ly/4Axg81j

09/25/2026

09/25/2026

"Over 65 years of life, I’ve walked through many difficult seasons, and what I know for certain is this: in every single one, God has been with me, and He has seen me through. But when I got married in February 2023, life felt full again, full of joy, full of plans, full of promise. At my niece’s wedding, while line dancing, I felt a sudden 'pop' in my rib. I never imagined that moment would lead to a diagnosis of multiple myeloma (MM), just three months after marrying my sweet husband, Ray.

I had been enjoying retirement after working since I was 14. I survived shingles in 2020 and an emergency appendectomy that same year. I had been savoring time with my five beautiful grandchildren. Then came 2023, a year I expected to spend traveling and building new memories with the love of my life. Instead, pain, muscle spasms, compression fractures, and rib fractures brought everything to a halt.

Looking back, I realized I had been tired and hurting for a long time but had pushed through it, as I always do. My pain tolerance is high, but this was beyond anything I’d ever known. I thought nothing could hurt worse than labor... then shingles came. And then cancer said, ‘Let me show you what pain really is.’

A stem cell transplant on December 29, 2023.

In June 2024, I got the call: I am MRD-negative and still MRD-negative over a year later. God is great! They may say myeloma is incurable, but I know this: nothing is too hard for God. If He did it before, He can do it again.”

For Dawn, "more" meant more time with her new husband, Ray. Just three months after they were married, she was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Instead of the travel and adventures they had planned, they faced a blood cancer diagnosis together.

Today, Dawn is MRD-negative and continuing to make memories with her family, her grandchildren, and the life she fought so hard to keep living.

September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month, and we are working toward a future filled with more. Help us raise more awareness and work toward a future where everyone affected by blood cancer has more time to love, more time to dream, and more time to write the next chapter of their story.

We're working toward more time, more hope, and more tomorrows. Learn more about our resources: https://bcutd.org/3Ufxqzz

09/25/2026

More and more support, guidance, and peace of mind.​

​This Blood Cancer Awareness Month, we want every patient and family to know about a free resource that does not get talked about enough. ​

​Open enrollment is coming, and finding the right health insurance plan for your specific needs may lower your out-of-pocket costs. Our Medical Debt Case Managers provide personalized, one-on-one health insurance evaluations to help prevent future medical debt.​

​Because more and more awareness can lead to more and more action.

Preventing medical debt starts with getting on the right insurance plan. Contact us to learn more 👇
https://bcutd.org/3TLuwT8

09/24/2026

Meet Omar Abdel-Wahab, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

A recent National Academy of Medicine electee Abdel-Wahab’s project studies a mutation in the SRSF2 gene. It shows up in 25% of people with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), 50% of people with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, and 25% of people with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) over age 65. Understanding what's happening at the molecular level with genes like SRSF2 could mean one new drug works across all of these types of blood cancer.

“Finding funding for this project at this early step can be challenging, but will be critical in bringing this treatment closer to patients," says Abdel-Wahab.

This project is part of the more than 250 academic research projects supported through Blood Cancer United's multi-year grants portfolio, all aimed at getting closer to better treatment options.

Learn more ⤵️
https://bcutd.org/3TTQzqR

09/24/2026

Blood Cancer United and the Hairy Cell Leukemia Foundation have announced six new research grants as part of their extended HCL2030 partnership. Nearly $7 million will be invested over the next five years in research focused on better understanding what drives hairy cell leukemia and finding better therapies for patients, particularly those with variant disease or relapsed classic hairy cell leukemia.

This , learn more and read the full announcement ⤵️
https://bcutd.org/4hndl1X

09/23/2026

Our Therapy Acceleration Program (TAP) partners work directly with innovative biotech companies to move the most promising blood cancer research from the lab into clinical trials, faster. TAP looks to change the standard of care while addressing high unmet medical needs.

Royalty Pharma's commitment to TAP is helping power that progress. With this gift of $7.5M, it marks the largest corporate donor donation that our TAP program has received.

Together, that means more treatments and more time for every patient.

Learn more about this impact on TAP ⬇️
https://bcutd.org/4yIm6ee

09/23/2026

Pass it along. 💌

If this is your family right now, you are not alone. The Dare to Dream Project is here for every family navigating a pediatric blood cancer with free resources and personalized support every step of the way. Learn more ⤵️
https://bcutd.org/4yWfnxr

09/22/2026

Your brain called. It wants a checklist. 🧠☎️

If your mental checklist is running overtime, you're not alone. As a young adult with blood cancer, there can be a lot to carry—appointments, treatment, relationships, work, and everything in between. It's okay to prioritize your mental health, ask for support, and take things one step at a time. Find free mental health resources for young adults here👇
https://bcutd.org/3TmqQXL

09/16/2026

Meet Carson Stevens, one of our 2027 Louisiana and Mississippi Student Visionaries of the Year candidates!

Carson serves as Junior Class President, is active in Student Council and participates in CYO at St. Edward the Confessor Parish. He is fundraising in honor of his grandfather, who recently passed away after being diagnosed with lymphoma, and is committed to making an impact for families facing blood cancer.

Help us give Carson a warm welcome in the comments as we continue introducing our inspiring Student Visionaries candidates across Louisiana and Mississippi! ❤

09/14/2026

Meet our next 2027 Louisiana and Mississippi Student Visionaries of the Year co-candidates, Rory Pilie and Ashley Young!

Rory and Ashley are juniors at Archbishop Chapelle High School who bring leadership, creativity and heart to this year’s Student Visionaries team.

Rory is part of Chapelle’s Ambassador leadership team and is involved in JPAS and the Rummel–Chapelle Genesians. She has served her community through volunteer work at St. Benilde and is inspired to join Blood Cancer United in honor of her close friend, Earl Blake, an honored hero in 2022.

Ashley plays soccer for Chapelle and is also involved in the Rummel–Chapelle Genesians. Her motivation to join Blood Cancer United comes from her cousins’ participation in the program and her family friend’s leukemia diagnosis, which made the mission personally meaningful.

Help us give Rory and Ashley a warm welcome in the comments as we continue introducing our inspiring Student Visionaries candidates across Louisiana and Mississippi! ❤

09/11/2026

Get ready to Paddle Up Against Blood Cancer!

Join us for a fun and meaningful pickleball tournament supporting Blood Cancer United, hosted by Light The Night’s Corporate Walk Chair, Crystal Brown.

Whether you’ve never played before or you’re a seasoned pro, everyone is welcome to come out, connect and make an impact.

📍 Location: Pickle N Pins — 6930 Veterans Memorial, Metairie
📅 Date: Friday, September 18
⏰ Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

🎟️ Registration:
• $30 — Singles
• $60 — Doubles

🎉 Enjoy:
• Fun competition
• Food
• Prizes
• Drinks available for purchase

Click here for more information and to register:
https://tinyurl.com/bdz22kr6

Let’s rally together for families facing blood cancer. See you on the courts! ❤

09/11/2026

Meet our next 2027 Louisiana and Mississippi Student Visionaries of the Year co-candidates, Aikum Bedi and Vihaan Sharma!
Aikum and Vihaan are juniors at Isidore Newman School who bring leadership, service and a strong commitment to community impact to this year’s Student Visionaries team.

Aikum has contributed more than 100 volunteer hours at Ochsner, helped lead a successful blood drive at his Gurdwara and earned top recognition for co building an AI model that detects hemorrhages in MRI scans. His experiences supporting patients facing serious illness made the mission personal and inspired him to step forward as a leader with Blood Cancer United this year.

Vihaan is an active volunteer in his local Indian community temple, where he serves on the student council and helps organize events like blood drives. He is passionate about expanding Blood Cancer United’s reach within his school community and is committed to bringing more awareness and supporters to the mission.

Welcome, Vihaan and Aikum! ❤

09/10/2026

This is George ❤️

He enjoys reading, building with Legos, and spending time with his older sister, Marilyn. ​

After experiencing unexplained bruising and fatigue, George was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) at just 8 years old. After spending more than five months in the hospital undergoing treatment, he is now thriving in remission. ​

In partnership with Unleashed Brands George is one of our Honored Heroes for the 2026 campaign! George will be featured throughout September, Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, at Urban Air Adventure Park locations nationwide as part of Sock it To Cancer and Unleashed Brands will have commemorative socks that will benefit our organization and the families we support. ​✨​🧦

08/28/2026

Meet our next 2027 Louisiana and Mississippi Student Visionaries of the Year candidate, Aidan Thomas!

Aidan is a junior at Jesuit High School and has experience working as a camp counselor, where he supported younger students and helped create a positive, welcoming environment. His commitment to leadership and service shines through everything he does.

Aidan is bringing that same heart and dedication to raising funds and awareness for blood cancer research and patient care.

Help us give Aidan a warm welcome in the comments as we continue introducing our inspiring Student Visionaries candidates across Louisiana and Mississippi! ❤

08/20/2026

Meet our next 2027 Louisiana and Mississippi Student Visionaries of the Year candidate, Scout Kearney!

Scout is a junior at Benjamin Franklin High School who is passionate about giving back to her community. She tutors middle and lower school students in math, English, and history, and she is creating Crescent City Scholars, a project designed to help New Orleans students visit colleges across the country that they may not otherwise have the chance to tour. Scout hopes to attend UCLA to pursue Pre Med.

Scout is channeling her dedication to education, opportunity, and service into raising funds and awareness to support blood cancer research and patient care.

Help us give Scout a warm welcome in the comments, and stay tuned as we continue introducing our inspiring Student Visionaries candidates from across Louisiana and Mississippi! ❤

08/10/2026

Join us for Mason Curran’s Summer Swirl Event on August 20 at 6:30 PM at Swirl W**e Bar & Market in New Orleans!

Enjoy an evening of w**e tasting and pairing while supporting Blood Cancer United. All proceeds from the event will benefit our mission to support blood cancer patients and their families.

Tickets are $65 per person. To purchase, email [email protected] or call/text (504) 620-4745.

We hope to see you there!