VISIONARIES OF THE YEAR

In October 2014, after months of trying to understand why a lymph node continued to grow in my neck and my symptoms continued to worsen, I heard the three words no one wants to ever hear in their lives: You have cancer. I had to drop out of school at NYU where I was studying Musical Theater at Tisch, move back home to Miami, and do chemotherapy for three months. Because I was 19 at the time, I was treated pediatrically. This meant I was being treated alongside kids who were as young as just a few months old, oftentimes battling diseases significantly worse than my own, with more intense treatment regimens, and lower chances of survival.

Then, on January 25th, 2015, after grueling treatment sessions, debilitating side effects, and months of sleepless nights, pain, and anxiety, I was told that I entered remission. After tears, an “I Survived Cancer” trip to Disney World, and many celebratory glasses of champagne later, I got straight to work. Although the worst was behind me, I knew I couldn’t sit idly by while others continued to fight this horrific disease. 

I began working on an event called “Raise Your Voice: A Cabaret for a Cure,” which sought to bring together the current generation of Broadway performers with the future generation – my classmates at Tisch. The benefit ended up raising over $13,000 its first year, and $40,000 its second year. I continued to work tirelessly with LLS by producing benefits for them, performing at, hosting, and MCing their established events, and speaking at various meetings and engagements around the country at various LLS chapters, including their national office. 

This December, I became the inaugural recipient of the Jay Porter Fellowship -- a new fellowship offered through his job at United Entertainment Group (Daniel J Edelman network) which will give me time off and resources to fully integrate myself into a philanthropic organization of my choosing, to make an impact. I've decided to use that time and those resources to run for a larger competition, and run for the 2023 New York City Visionary of the Year. The Visionary of the Year competition is a 10 week campaign, starting March 1st ending May 12th, where candidates fundraise to take home the coveted title. All funds from all candidates ultimately pool together to create a 7 figure donation for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society at the end of the night. 

Why LLS? As the largest nonprofit funder of cutting-edge blood cancer research to advance cures, LLS has invested more than $1.5 billion in cancer research since they started in 1949, leading to breakthroughs in immunotherapy, genomics and personalized medicine that are improving and saving the lives of patients. As a global leader in the fight against blood cancer, LLS also provides free education and support for blood cancer patients and families, including personalized, one-on-one support, assistance with identifying and enrolling in clinical trials, and more, and mobilizes thousands of advocates to drive policy changes that accelerate the development of new cancer treatments and break down barriers to care. Additionally, it is much easier to research, test, and experiment on a blood cell than it is on a tumor, making LLS the pioneer of many drugs that are ultimately cleared to treat other diseases such as pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, stomach cancer, and more.