Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

In 1949, only five years after losing their son Robert to leukemia, Rudolph and Antoinette de Villiers established the Robert de Villiers Foundation in New York City to fundraise and learn about issues surrounding leukemia. What began as a volunteer-based operation — born out of parental grief and housed in a small Wall Street office — quickly grew into a national movement, with the foundation changing its name to the Leukemia Society, then to the Leukemia Society of America, and, finally, to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). Today, LLS is the world's largest nonprofit health organization funding blood cancer research, providing public education, and offering crucial patient services. Since its founding, LLS has invested nearly $1.3 billion in cutting-edge research, become the world's leading source of free blood cancer information, and developed a volunteer base of more than 100,000 people engaging in advocacy. Through its widespread efforts, LLS is at the very forefront of the fight to cure cancer.