Man & Woman of the Year candidates raise money each year in honor of the Boy & Girl of the Year. They are patient heroes chosen for their inspiring stories and winning attitudes. Each becomes a spokesperson for the thousands of patients who have benefited from LLS resources. The families have pledged to help the candidates and campaign in a variety of ways, most importantly, speaking at and attending events and motivating the candidates. Here's a little more information about our 2021 Girl and Boy of the Year.

 Naomi
 Diagnosis: Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
 Age: 8 years old

 Naomi’s Story: On August 10, 2018, Naomi was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL).  Over the next two years, she faced the fight against childhood cancer with the help of the Inova Children’s Hospital and Pediatric Specialists of Virginia's Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders.   

The road ahead would be long and lonely at times as she battled bone aches, headaches, weight gain, weight loss, hair loss, changes in appetite, bruising, sleeplessness, and the list goes on and on — to put it in her own words, “it sucked.”  However, in true Naomi fashion, she tapped into her warrior spirit, to not only survive, but thrive despite her diagnosis.   

 Naomi rang the bell on October 26, 2020 and today, she is a healthy and sassy 8-year-old who just began the third grade and loves the color pink, enjoys art and crafts, and wants to be a teacher when she grows up.   

 She was first introduced to the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society after attending “Light Up The Night” when she first began her cancer journey and so it is a complete honor and full circle moment to have her selected as the 2022 “Girl of the Year.” 

Collin 
Diagnosis: Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) 
Age: 13 years old

  Collin's Story: On Memorial Day 2020, Collin woke up with a mild fever, swollen tonsils, canker sores, and a small, odd protrusion on his jawline. Within 12 hours of arriving at the Inova Fairfax ER, Collin was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) FLT3-ITD, which is categorized as a "high-risk" leukemia on July 21, 2020. 

  Collin went through three rounds of chemotherapy from July through November 2020 and moved from Inova Fairfax to Johns Hopkins and underwent a bone marrow transplant on December 23, 2020, receiving his dad's blood cells. 

Although there were many ups and downs, Collin remained incredibly strong, faithful, and resilient throughout the long hospital stays and multiple phases of debilitating side-effects and complications from countless drugs and procedures.