We’ve carefully selected these blogs because they are actively working to educate, inspire, and empower their readers with frequent updates and high-quality information. If you would like to tell us about a blog, nominate them by emailing us at bestblogs@healthline.com!
Leukemia is a group of blood cancers that affect hundreds of thousands of people, including the very young. The survival rate of people diagnosed with leukemia has improved rapidly over the past several decades, according to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Still, more than 24,000 people are expected to die from leukemia in 2017.
For people living with leukemia, those who know them, and those who have lost someone to the disease, support can come from many different sources, including these incredible blogs.
In 2013, Dominic was less than 1 year old when he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. Two years later, he passed away. His parents, Sean and Trish Rooney, began to chronicle his journey. Now, the two split their time between their new infant daughter, and memorializing Dominic through their advocacy work and the blog.
Tweet them @TrishRooney and @seanrooney
Ronni Gordon is a freelance writer and grandmother. She’s also a runner and tennis player who recognized she was having health problems during a 10k race in 2003. She was later diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. Though she was cured three years ago, Ronni continues to face a host of chronic side effects, sharing her continuing struggles with the after effects of the disease on her compelling blog.
Tweet her @ronni_gordon
The T.J. Martell Foundation is a nonprofit organization within the music industry that works to funnel millions of dollars into leukemia, AIDS, and cancer research. According to the blog, they’ve raised $270 million thus far. Here you can read about their work, patient profiles, expert Q&As, and poignant stories of survival.
Tweet them @tjmartell
What happens when a family doctor is diagnosed with leukemia? Well, in the case of Brian Koffman, he begins sharing his journey. Dr. Koffman writes about new developments in blood cancer treatment, as well as his decision to take part in a clinical trial, which has had significant bearing on his treatment course over the last several years. Recently, he penned a series on steroids in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and followed the articles with a Facebook Live broadcast.
Tweet him @briankoffman
The LLS Blog is the blog home of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the largest nonprofit dedicated to blood cancer research. They’ve been around since 1949, so they have a wealth of experience and knowledge to offer. On their blog, you can read about the organization’s latest fundraising efforts and events, as well as stories like that of Katie Demasi, a nurse who was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The touching story chronicles Demasi learning about cancer from both sides of the hospital bed.
Tweet them @LLSusa
St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a nonprofit organization that raises money for childhood cancers. You may have heard of them — they’re the ones that hold head shaving events designed to raise money and awareness for research efforts. On their blog, you’ll find plenty of information about childhood cancers, specifically leukemia. Perhaps most touching are the profiles of children living (and those who have lost their battles) with leukemia.
Tweet them @StBaldricks
Michele Rasmussen was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia at age 52. She knew something might be wrong when she began experiencing a series of odd symptoms, including a tight, full feeling under her ribcage and increased tiredness. She was also becoming easily winded. The latter symptom was especially noticeable because Michele and her husband are competitive dancers. She began blogging in 2011 about her journey with CML and dancing. Most recently, she’s been blogging about her latest experiences with treatment side effects, and her struggles to manage the medications that should be helping her.
Tweet her @meeeesh51
Beth is a mother and wife living with leukemia. She began blogging about her journey in 2012. The first three posts on her extensive blog chronicle how she arrived at her diagnosis. When the oncologist announced she had leukemia, she was also told the “good news” was that it was hairy cell leukemia, the most responsive to chemotherapy. Thus began Beth’s journey.
Robyn Stoller is the founder of CancerHawk, a cancer advocacy blog where you can find information and resources. The blog has a section specifically dedicated to “must know” information, where you can isolate posts on certain types of cancer, including leukemia. There are also resources to connect with cancer survivors and their loved ones within support communities. Recently, an inspirational story about beating the odds was shared on the blog, and it’s far from the only worthwhile read.
Tweet her @CancerHAWK
Lisa Lee went to urgent care in 2013 with flulike symptoms. She had no idea that what she thought was a passing virus would change her life dramatically. That urgent care trip ended in a Chicago hospital where she was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia. Recently, she marked four years since that diagnosis, and posted a few updates to her blog about the occasion. Unlike most anniversaries, this one, for Lisa, was filled with tough lessons and fear. We like Lisa’s honesty and transparency in the face of cancer recovery.
Tweet her @lisaleeworks
Caemon was diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer in 2012. Just 1 percent of children are diagnosed with juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia. At the age of 3, less than one year after his diagnosis, Caemon lost his battle. C is for Crocodile is his mothers’ blog, Timaree and Jodi, who keep their son’s memory alive and work to raise awareness of childhood leukemia.