Montco Walk To Raise Money In Fight Against Common Form Of Blood Cancer
By Tim Jimenez
EAST NORRITON, Pa. (CBS) - September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month and hundreds are expected to walk the walk this weekend in Montgomery County in the fight against Lymphoma.
The Philadelphia Lymphomathon takes place for the eight straight year Sunday morning at Norristown Farm Park and one of the people out there for this 5k is Jeffrey Iredell.
"September 9th it was my third anniversary of when I was diagnosed," he tells KYW Newsradio.
Now cancer free, Iredell is co-president of the Philadelphia chapter of the Lymphoma Research Foundation. He says the money raised from the event is spent on patient support, like grants for those who can't afford treatment, as well as for critical research:
"We are currently in our second year of funding a mantle cell lymphoma research project at the University of Pennsylvania so the money does stay local."
Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a rare form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Despite a lot more work needed to be done, Iredell says these walks offer a strong message:
"Survival is not only possible but it is a very big reality and it is getting better and better every year."
Registration is still open and people can come by and register on the morning of the walk.