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Quade

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Hi, my name is Quade Marks.   I am 10 years old and in the 4th grade.  I love to snowboard, play the guitar, lacrosse and football.  I am a blood cancer survivor. 

In April 2016, I just wrapped up 18 weeks on a competitive snowboard team and started playing spring lacrosse on my team of five years.  My parents noticed that I had a lot of bruises on my arms and legs but didn’t think much about it because – well, I’m an active kid and for me bruises were normal.  On April 15, 2016, I went to the school nurse because my hand was swollen and I had what looked like a weird rash.  The nurse called my mom and soon I visited my pediatrician who took a complete blood count.  When they got the results back that night, my pediatrician said I had to go straight to the emergency room because my platelets were so low.  Later that night, I met my oncologist and he said I likely had leukemia.  That next day, I had my first of many bone marrow biopsies, which confirmed I had Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML).  Usually I don't fear anything but hearing that I had cancer was very scary. 

After spending 161 nights in the hospital, undergoing four rounds of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant, I am now cancer free.  Thanks to my amazing medical team and the support of my family, lots of friends, and many people I didn't even know. I am now back snowboarding and doing many of the same things I was doing before I was diagnosed with cancer.  While I was sick I learned how important it is to stay positive and focus on helping others.  There is no way to thank everyone who helped me so I pay it forward by fundraising for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, which supports patients and families battling blood cancers and funds important research for therapies that save thousands of lives every day - like mine! 

It is so cool to be chosen as the Honored Hero for the 2017 Rocky Mountain Light the Night Walk.  I had supported the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and had attended Light the Night through my mom’s work before I was diagnosed with cancer.  Soon after I was diagnosed, the team at LLS visited me at the hospital and I started fundraising from my hospital room.  My goal was to raise $4,000 and thanks to the generous donations from so many people, including many bake sales and lemonade stands held by my friends and classmates, I raised over $20,000.  This year I want to raise even more and to continue to spread the news that by working together we can hopefully soon live in a world without blood cancers.  

Follow my story at www.Quade8.com.

Peace Out!

Quade