Our Honored Teammate is Isabella Mireles. Learn more about her here.

An Honored Teammate is a very special individual who has battled or who is battling leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, myeloma or other blood-related cancers. It is in their honor or memory that you participate in Team In Training® (TNT). An Honored Teammate can be someone you know personally.

If you do not know someone whose life has been touched by leukemia or a blood-related cancer, we will give you the unique opportunity to participate for a patient or survivor who has agreed to join TNT as a Honored Teammate. So often people are asked to raise funds for a charity with very little connection or understanding of how valuable their efforts are. By honoring a member of your own community, and hearing their story first-hand, participants are able to understand the extreme value of their efforts.

TNT particpants are provided a hospital bracelet with their Honored Teammate's name, age and type of cancer, and general information and a picture. Participants are asked to wear this bracelet throughout the training period. As the miles get longer and longer, they can look down at their wrist and think of the person whose battle does not guarantee an end.

As each particpant fundraises, the bracelet can also prove to be a great way to gain the attention of potential donors! Past participants have reported being on an airplane or in line at the grocery store, and having the person next to them ask about the bracelet. And yes, they then donated to their fundraising campaign on the spot!

The Honored Teammate's Role

The job of the Honored Teammate and his/her familiy is to help us keep the TNT participants motivated on the road to the finish line! An Honored Teammate's involvement inspires and motivates particpants to reach their fundraising and training goals, and also creates awareness about leukemia and its related cancers. By sharing your experience with the TNT participants, you will be educating them to become spokesmen for our cause. This is a very effective and affordable way to educate the public and create awareness.

An Honored Teammate completes a profile, including a current picture that TNT then uses to create a color biography and gives to TNT participants. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society encourages Honored Teammates to also include artwork or a letter as part of their biography. The information that we provide participants about leukemia and how it affects an individual's life will aid them in raising funds for the Society.

Honored Teammate families are invited to any and all Team In Training activities. The first and most important event for an Honored Teammate is the season kick-off. This is the perfect opportunity to meet the people who will be training and fundraising on behalf of the Honored Teammate.

Isabella's Story

Isabella Mireles, age three, was diagnosed June 1, 2007 with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. After an initial two week stay at Cottage hospital where she received intense chemotherapy and other medications, the leukemia went into remission. Isa continued her outpatient care with Cottage hospital and after 6 months of strong chemo, she is now in the "maintenance" phase in which she takes oral chemo meds at home, and every month goes into the clinic for an infusion of chemo. Every three months she has to have chemo surgically injected into her spinal fluid. This treatment will continue until the fall of 2009. Treatment for Isa's disease is two and a half years, but she is now acting like a normal three year old--even going to preschool! Isa and her family so appreciate your help and dedication in raising money for the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society. This organization is directly responsible for funding research that has saved Isa's life!