TEAM CARMEN.....SWIMS, BIKES and RUNS again for the Waikaloa Lavaman Triathalon 2014 as part of "Team in Training" to raise money for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS).

Last year Team Carmen proudly raised over $31,000 for LLS. In doing so, Team Carmen inspired the race director of Lavaman Waikaloa to name Carmen as the honorary angel for the entire race. Carmen's story was told at each pre-race meeting and she was remembered by 2,000 athletes and volunteers with a moment of silence for our sweet Carmen just moments before the begining of the race.

With your support we hope to exceed our acheivments in 2014.

35 years ago when a child was diagnosed with Leukemia they would only beat the odds 5% of the time.

Through the efforts of LLS and TNT, there has been incredible strides made over the years and now children who are diagnosed survive Leukemia 95% of the time.

Unfortunately, there are still 3,000 children per year in North America diagnosed with Leukemia each year and too many children receive their fairy wings far too early.

Team Carmen races in honor of our beautiful child, Carmen Leolani who passed on October 9th, 2012.

Below is a quick story about Carmen and her courage,

Carmen's ALL Leukemia fight began May 26, 2011 - we almost lost her this day. She was very sick but she fought extremely hard - receiving platelets, blood transfusions, many many pokes, sedations and a bone marrow biopsy.

It was difficult to keep track of all of Carmen's treatment. Here is an approximation; she received 4 blood transfusions, she received platelets, two bone marrow biopsys, a femoral line placement and removal in her leg with sedations, PICC line placement and removal in her arm with sedations, surgery with a port-a-cath placement in her chest, over 15 sedations with chemotherapy in her cerebral spinal fluid, 9 rounds of chemotherapy, she has had 11 days in the hospital, a medi-vac flight from Kauai to Oahu, 40 days at the Pediactric Ambilitory Unit Clinic, 35 flights away from home to Oahu, 45 overnight stays away from home for treatment and over 100 needle pokes.

Carmen remained sweet, funny, happy and creative throughout. She had so much light and love around her - hopefully you had the pleasure to meet her.

She was in remission and almost finished completing her maintenance therapy which would have ended June 2013 when she became ill following a round of chemotherapy. She passed away suddenly in the arms of her parents at home on October 9th, 2012.

This has been a devastating time for our entire family but we fight on everyday just like Carmen did.

Carmen's brother Trevor is a beautiful light and such a happy, special little person. He misses his big sister and talks about her daily.

We feel very honored to be once again participating with our friends for Team Carmen this year.

We are filled with love and pride and thank everybody who is a part of the Lavaman Triathlon as well as our donation supporters.

We thank god for every day we had with her.

Mahalo Nui Loa from the bottom of our hearts.

Chris, Heather and Trevor White

About Team in Training;

Together, there’s no telling what we can do. As a Team Carmen, we can combine efforts to save lives.

Throughout different cities and towns people are coming together to create separate teams to participate in a sports endurance event all with one common goal to honor and benefit all individuals battling blood cancers. Members of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training will be creating teams, large and small, that will be participating in sports events across the country. They will be raising funds to help find cures and more effective treatment for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma. As a team, we can accomplish great things towards cures for blood cancers.

If you know of a team or individual participating in Team In Training, feel free to make a donation to support LLS’s effort to find cures and to improve the quality of life for patients and their families.