Alexandria Pastor Gives Back To Honor Son's Cancer Survival

ALEXANDRIA, VA — For Alexandria pastor Deborah Porras, there's a personal reason for participating in the 2021 Woman of the Year Campaign for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. Her son Gabe, 13, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma at age 7 and battled his way to a healthy life. For that reason, she wants to give back and ensure other children can be cancer survivors.

Porras, pastor at Beverley Hills Community UMC in Alexandria, is participating in the 10-week Man/Woman of the Year Campaign for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society in the DC metropolitan area. The fundraising team, "No One Fights Alone," will host the LLS fundraising campaign through June 12. Porras aims to raise $100,000 in 10 weeks, benefiting LLS to fund new treatments and find a cure for blood cancers.

At age 7, Gabe faced Hodgkin's Lymphoma with chemotherapy treatments, hospital stays, surgeries, countless needle pokes, vomiting, missed school, and the reality that he could die, according to Porras. Now even as a healthy 13-year-old, long-term side effects still affect him.

"Gabe is now a healthy 13 year old, and every year we celebrate that his cancer has not returned; but every year we know that it might," Porras wrote. "His life, our lives, will never be the same, but he is alive, and we are immensely grateful, we and want the same for all children, all people."

The Woman of the Year campaign spearheaded by Porras seeks to give back to other children and show gratitude for Gabe's recovery. The "No One Fights Alone" fundraising team refers to the community of support for the family when Gabe fought cancer.

Another part of the fundraiser gets Alexandria residents directly engaged. In honor of the "brood" of loved ones that help families get through a cancer battle, the fundraising team will have a brood of chickens pop up in Alexandria yards beginning on May 1. Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson has agreed to launch the chickens from his yard, according to Porras.

If the chickens appear in their yard, residents can text or call the number on the attached card and indicate another Alexandria home to move the chicken family to. Residents are encouraged to make a donation to LLS too.

"We hope these chickens encourage lots of community excitement and engagement around the reality that we can help fund new treatments and even a cure for blood cancers," Porras said.

The fundraising team will also have a "Donate Back" night benefiting LLS at Lena's Wood-Fired Pizza on Monday, May 17. When ordering takeout, delivery, or in-person dining, customers can let the restaurant know they want to support "Deborah Porras' LLS Woman of the Year."

LLS is in the midst of its Children’s Initiative, a multi-year effort to raise $100 million to tackle children’s cancer from every aspect, including new research grants to advance novel therapies, enhance free education and support services for children and their families, and renew policy and advocacy efforts. As part of the initiative, LLS is also collaborating to launch the first global precision medicine clinical trial for children with acute leukemia.

See Porras' Woman of the Year fundraiser to donate.