About the Nonprofit
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The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) was born out of a family's grief following the death of their son, who was 16 when he succumbed to leukemia in 1944. Frustrated by the lack of effective treatments for what was then a hopeless disease, parents Rudolph and Antoinette de Villiers started a fundraising and education organization. Driven by the de Villiers's nearly boundless belief that leukemia was indeed curable, the foundation grew steadily, opening its first offices in the New York City area.
Today, LLS, a 501(c)(3) organization, is the largest not-for-profit health agency dedicated to finding cures and better treatments for people with blood cancer, funding cutting-edge research worldwide to advance breakthrough therapies and bring them to more patients faster. With the size and scope to fund research on a scale that makes progress happen, LLS funds more blood cancer research than any other organization. Advised by leading biomedical research and clinical experts, LLS identifies and funds the most promising blood cancer research found anywhere and has invested more than $1.5 billion in research to advance therapies and save lives. Unlike corporations that invest in drugs offering the best profit potential, LLS funds research based on unmet medical needs of blood cancer patients, without restriction by commercial return, market size or geography.
LLS recognizes that finding cures is not enough; we must ensure that patients have access to the treatments they need. Through diverse and extensive outreach initiatives, we advocate, educate, assist, and support patients and fight for them at the national and state levels. With the help of trained volunteers, our policy team influences crucial legislation to accelerate research and break down barriers to treatment. Each year, our Information Specialists, all master’s-level health care professionals, respond to 25,000 inquiries, and that number continues to grow. Last year, more than 450,000 educational booklets and fact sheets about specific diseases were downloaded or ordered by patients and families around the country. And in 2021, more than 1,000 patients received in-depth clinical trial support from our industry-leading Clinical Trial Support Center. A support to patients when they need it most, LLS distributed nearly $5 million in relief funds to more than 19,000 patients during the global pandemic.
