Local Man Seeks Community's Help to Raise Funds for Blood Cancer Research

by Plymouth resident Justin Christopher Ayd

I'm writing in hopes that you can spare a few minutes to hear something very important to me.

As many know, in October 2008, my wife Jenn Lillemo Ayd was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. As she was only 19 at the time, it was an incredibly difficult thing to watch and to comprehend; a perfectly healthy young person suddenly develops cancer?

Even though cancer is that something that happens to millions of people a year, we still didn't believe that it was real. During her chemotherapy treatments she remained as strong as she mentally and physically could; both at work and and at our apartment. There were several times where she just wanted to give up, which, for me, was painfully hard to hear.

Ultimately she got through all her chemotherapy treatments, and on March 17th, 2013, she celebrated four years of remission. 

My mother-in-law, Jan Lillemo, has been nominated and is competing for LLS (Leukemia and Lymphoma Society) Woman of the Year, and a few weeks ago she started her campaign to raise funds to further blood cancer research.

This campaign is important to me as it's because of LLS sponsored research that my wife is here with me today.

If you would be able to donate any dollar amount to further blood cancer research, I would be eternally grateful.

To visit the fundraising page, please click here.

Thank you for your time and your support.