Illinois

Every season Team In Training recognizes an Honored Hero: a volunteer who provides inspiration to participants, coaches and staff. Honored Heroes are those who are fighting or who have survived blood cancer. Throughout your training and fundraising journey, you will get to hear from your season's Honored Hero.

Our Spring/Summer Season Honored Hero is Doug Loizzo

Doug Loizzo began his battle with large granular lymphocytic (LGL) leukemia when he was 26 years old and in the best shape of his life.  On September 13, 2007, after noticing that he bruised easily and was often tired, a painful kick at a football game left Doug in the emergency room where a simple blood test revealed that he had a seriously low platelet count of 6,000.

LGL tends to mask itself as other illnesses; therefore, Doug's diagnosis was just as difficult as his treatment.  During his initial hospital stay, doctors performed a series of random treatments to try to stimulate his platelet count.  Doug and his wife Kelly learned he would be treated with chemo for an autoimmune disease called ITP.  He received doses of chemo, steroid injections and transfusions until the leukemia was finally unmasked.
Doug's treatment involved a cycle of on- and off-weeks of nearly daily transfusions and weekly shots of Nplate.  One of the most painful parts of this process included cataract surgery on both of his eyes.

"I am extremely thankful that through this all I have still been able to do almost everything," Doug says.  "I keep positive thoughts and hope that some time in the near future I can say I am in remission.  Until then I will continue to fight and be as involved as possible in finding a cure."

Doug's strength through this difficult and enduring struggle makes him a positive example for us all.  He participated in several events with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training (TNT) program, including the 2011 Lifetime Chicago Triathlon. Moving forward, he will have his spleen removed to see if this will slow down the destruction of his platelets. If this does not produce results, Doug, his family, and his doctors will have to move forward to more aggressive treatments to get the leukemia into remission.
 

Profiles of past Honored Heroes

Jenna Benn (Winter 2011)

Will Plyter (Fall 2011)

For more on LLS's mission, history and how TNT is helping to create a world without blood cancer, click here.