The New York Times reports that Emma Whitehead was near death last spring with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). But she is now in remission after an experimental treatment at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia: the doctors at CHOP used a disabled form of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, to genetically reprogram Emma’s immune system to kill cancer cells. To perform the treatment, doctors removed millions of her T-cells (a type of white blood cell) and inserted new genes that enabled the T-cells to kill cancer cells. If you have time, this article is a must-read this morning, so click the link to hear about this amazing story of survival, and exciting news for future treatment options.

Texas 4000 for Cancer 2012 rider, Georgene Hergenroeder, encapsulates exactly what the T4K experience feels like once the 4,500 mile journey is finished: “Now that the ride is over, I get the same question over and over again; people ask me, “What was your favorite part?” It’s somewhat unfortunate that this is the most common question that I get because it is an incredibly difficult question to answer. Every day was both the best day of my life and the hardest day of my life. For example, when I look back on the ride from Cheyenne to Laramie and consider how physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted I felt, I would still go back and do it again…While I can’t tell you what my favorite part is, I can tell you one of the greatest lessons that I learned, and one that I plan to remember for the rest of my life. I can narrow it down to one simple word: perspective…I learned that there are truly difficult problems in the world, and all we can do is try our best every day to love the people around us and put these problems to an end.” Click the link to read more. As a 2009 rider, I’m feeling so proud of everyone in the Texas 4000 organization for what we’ve all done, and what the successive teams will continue to do to help others in the years to come.

Check out my Survivor Summit teammate, Amy Bartlett, in the most recent issue of LIVESTRONG Quarterly on pages 40-42. Yes: the doping scandal has been in the news lately. Regardless, I’m proud of my teammates and I for summitting Kilimanjaro and raising over $230,000 for cancer programs and services at LIVESTRONG. We did an amazing thing together for the right reasons, as you’ll see when you read my teammate’s synopsis on our climb. So click the link to learn more.

“Cancer has changed my priorities,” writes Ian Gillen for The Daily Texan. “I have learned to deeply value both those who chose to stick by me as well as the people who have chosen to be a part of my new life, while holding a separate place in my heart for those that I hope will someday come back. I also have begun to grasp the importance of managing my time—I do my schoolwork, but I also find moments to take a breath and do something, no matter how small or inconsequential, that makes me happy. I am still only 25, and I have much more of life to see and experience. I know I don’t have the ability to do the impossible, but I do have the willpower and inner strength to believe in myself. So to me, believing and wanting to move on and live a full, happy life is the greatest victory I can have.” Click the link to read the full article. As an homage to Ian’s strength, I’ll follow up with a quotation he cited from Ernest Hemingway that made me feel really good and strong, too.

Join the fight, share a message, and show your support. For every message shared, generous donors have pledged to give the Lance Armstrong Foundation $1 towards programs and services that directly support people fighting cancer.

Watch from one poignant moment to the next, as LIVESTRONG employee Renee Nicholas shares her journey with breast cancer. I’m so happy I had the incredible opportunity to meet Renee at a fundraising dinner for my Survivor Summit teammate, Mona Patel. Renee is a kind, good-hearted listener who lets her positive, infectious free spirit flow through her and into others with ease. Renee was supposed to be one of my teammates on our climb up Kilimanjaro, but she had to back out to focus on her health. Please join me in sending good vibes her way so she can participate in Survivor Summit in 2013!

Doctors in developing countries are catching pre-cancerous cells early by swabbing women’s cervices with vinegar or diluted acetic acid. This cost-effective, simple treatment method does not require laboratory tests or electricity. Once detected, precancerous lesions can often be removed within minutes. Click the link above the read more about this smart, useful screening and treatment process as part of the global fight against cancer.