I told you a little bit about my connection to the Alzheimer's Association last week, and today I want to explain why I'm donating to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
My friend and bandmate Joel Mendoza is a luekemia survivor. He battled (and won!) the disease before I met him. I won't go into detail about his fight because it is his story to tell. I will, however, go into detail about what he means to me.
When I set out to find a percussionist on craigslist (cue scary music), I was scared of having to deal with crazy people answering my listing. Don't get me wrong, I am a huge fan of this site...I've furnished many an apartment quite nicely with the help of craig and his list. But we aren't talking about buying a gently used ikea coffee table here. We are talking about finding a PERSON to practice and gig with. Different story. Much more terrifying.
Lucky for me, Joel was the first person to answer my ad. He was not crazy and he was talented, so he was hired. Well, I guess that would imply that I paid him. (One day I will pay you Joel, I promise!)
From the get-go, we clicked as bandmates and as friends. I had always been amazed at his honesty, his good heart, and his positive outlook on life. Once he opened up to me about his battle with cancer, I was even more impressed by these qualities. Joel is a true inspiration in my life; a living, breathing, laughing example that you can not only overcome adversity, but you can come out on the other end in good spirits. I am genuinely blessed to have Joel in my life. He is my brother, and I chose LLS as a recipient of my donation in his honor.
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