The IronTeam trains and raises funds in honor of the 1 million patients currently battling a blood cancer in America, in memory of the countless that have lost their battle, and to bring hope to future patients that there will be cures and better treatments.

The team was particularly inspired by the loss of a member of the LLS New Jersey Chapter’s family and is dedicating this race to the memory of Kayla:

Kayla Defeo
2004 – 2011
ALL (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia)

Kayla was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia at the age of 2 in 2006.  She underwent a year of intense chemotherapy treatment.  Although all of her chemo could be given on an outpatient basis, we still had several hospital stays.  Kayla lost all her hair, had many painful procedures, was severely immuno-compromised and had a feeding tube for several months.    After that first year, Kayla was put on a “maintenance” protocol.  Although she still received chemotherapy, it was a much less intense treatment. Her hair began to grow back and her immune system was slowing returning to normal.  Sadly, in April 2008 just three months shy of the end of her chemotherapy protocol, Kayla relapsed.  At that point, we were admitted to CHOP for what turned out to be a 60-day stay.  Kayla endured even more intense chemotherapy and we were in the hospital for the majority of the next 6 months.  Kayla had a bone marrow transplant in August of 2008.  One year after her relapse, Kayla was able to return to preschool.   Unfortunately, Kayla started to develop chronic graft versus host disease (GVHD) in the spring of 2010.  The GVHD affected her skin and her joints causing her lose much of her mobility.  On September 7, 2011 at the age of 71/2, Kayla’s body could no longer fight the GVHD and she earned her angel wings early that morning.  Thank you to the IronTeam, our LLS family, and all the donors that continue to fight so no family must endure what we have. ~ Debby (Kayla’s mother)