Pine-Richland juniors raise money for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Two Pine-Richland High School juniors are participating in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Student Visionaries of the Year 2023 campaign, each with their own motivations and strategies, but with a shared goal to increase funding for LLS and awareness of blood cancer.

Student Visionaries of the Year titles are awarded to the teams that raise the most money during the seven-week competition, which runs through March 31.

Stronger Together

Jaden Persaud leads a team called Stronger Together and is motivated by his mother, Jessica Kuhns, who has been battling myeloproliferative neoplasm since 2016. The blood cancer causes bone marrow to make too many or too few blood cells.

“It’s for my mom,” Persaud said. “When I was 10, I was told we had to prepare for her funeral.”

Persaud hopes to raise $15,000, a goal he describes as modest given that he is new to the Student Visionaries program.

Upon his mother’s diagnosis, Persaud immediately stepped into the role of caregiver. For the last seven years he has cooked and cleaned, helped his mother with medication, accompanied her to appointments at Hillman Cancer Center, and kept her honest with her doctors.

When Kuhns first got diagnosed, Persaud had an enormous collection of stuffed animals. It was his idea to donate them to first responders so that they could be used to comfort children in those difficult situations.

He also got involved with LLS, helping to raise more than $10,000 with Light the Night in 2018. Persaud hosted barbecues for first responders, and lemonade fundraisers, in addition to raising funds to donate to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

Persaud’s work to raise money and awareness did not go unnoticed. In 2018, he was named an MPN Hero by CURE magazine and celebrated in a ceremony in San Diego. Persaud was one of eight in the country to receive the award and the first child to ever be honored. His mother was named an MPN Hero in 2022, and both were interviewed by actor Lavar Burton in Los Angeles about their experiences with cancer and the importance of regular checkups. Later this year, Persaud and his mother will serve as judges for CURE to help select the 2023 class of heroes.

“I am blown away by Jaden every day. There’s not a day that goes by that he doesn’t surprise me with how smart he is, how generous he is, how much he loves, and how hard he goes for people he loves,” Kuhns said.

Persaud’s team includes his fellow JROTC cadets. Persaud has been involved with JROTC since his freshman year and is Cadet Captain this year. He is appreciative of the involvement of his JROTC team as well as the administration at school.

“My principal, Dr. Frank Hernandez, has been such a help and a guidance system for me. He’s been so supportive about getting the word out about fundraising at school,” Persaud said.

His team’s strategy has been to approach local businesses by asking for donations, sending lots of emails, and even taking meetings and doing presentations for local business owners.

Persaud’s plans for the future include pursuing the Air Force after graduation, either by attending the Air Force Academy or enlisting. He also intends to continue raising money and awareness for MPNs. He hopes to be able to partner with local organizations to do more fundraising and advocacy, noting that he wants people to understand that cancer is more than just a physical battle.

“Under-recognized cancers need attention,” Persaud said. “Cancer takes a big mental toll on a person, in addition to the physical toll.”

While Kuhns is back on a chemo regimen after a two-week break, she said she’s been doing better. “Having Jaden to lean on has been literally lifesaving. He’s saved my life in more ways than one.”

Secure a Cure

Zachary Howard is leading a team called Secure a Cure with six other students, including juniors Ben Baileys, Cory Cownie, Aman Guruacharya, Alex Lemoncelli and Yash Shah, and sophomore Noah Mackie, as well as his parents and travel hockey coach.

Zach was inspired to get involved with LLS and the Student Visionaries of the Year campaign because his cousin had leukemia.

“It’s an ongoing battle,” Howard said. “And because of my cousin, I want to bring awareness and support, and I want people to know how people with cancer feel.”

His goal is to raise $48,000, equal to $1,500 for each year that his cousin has lived cancer-free. Over the past few months, his cousin’s health has been improving. His cousin was able to leave the hospital and go home earlier this year, and he enjoys communicating with Howard about the fundraising process.

“He likes knowing that I’m doing what I can to support him and other people like him,” Howard said.

Howard’s team is fundraising in school and throughout the community with activities including a March Madness NCAA tournament fundraiser, in which the winner splits proceeds with the campaign. His team also is working with local businesses on donations and sponsorships, as well as reaching out to family and friends via email and social media with links to the online fundraising page.

“Anything people can contribute to help cancer lose is a win for everyone,” Howard said.

This is Howard’s first year leading a team. He was nominated by the mother of one of his hockey teammates who is heavily involved in LLS.

Next year, Howard plans to nominate his brother or a teammate to lead a team. After high school, Howard intends to attend college for business or real estate, but wants to stay involved with fundraising.

“It’s fulfilling to know that I’m making a difference.”