Ptosha Davis is pictured above at one of her recent fundraisers held for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society competition for Woman of the Year. This fundraiser was held at the African American Women’s Center last week. (Photo by Robert A. Bell)
Ptosha Davis lost her daughter Jori last February 10, 2010 to a fight against Leukemia. Davis wants to educate others and help encourage research that will find a cure, not only for the disease but also for a cure that treats the cancer without killing the patient.
Her daughter Jori was actually in remission from her disease, Leukemia when she passed. Complications resulting from Chemotheraphy, the manner in which the treatment had affected her organs was what she died from.
Davis in an effort to help with her mission is now engaged in a campaign to become Wisconsin’s Woman of the Year for Leukemia and Lymphomia Society (LLS).
LLS is the world’s largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer research and improving the quality of life of patients and their families. The LLS Man and Woman of the Year is a nation-wide competition where passionate candidates like Davis raise funds for blood cancer research. The competition runs from February to June.
Candidates compete in their respective state to honor children who are local blood cancer survivors, the LLS Boy and Girl of the Year. Every dollar raised counts as one vote, and the titles are awarded to the man and women with the most votes at the end ot 10 weeks. The top local fundraisers in the country win the national titles.
Davis was nominated by the executive director of the Wisconsin LLS to run for the title based on her work in the community raising awareness about the disease. Davis began her involvement with LLS during Jori’s illness when George Hinton, president of Sinai Hospital, connected her to the Wisconsin LLS and its board of directors. They asked if she would be interested in becoming a member of its board.
Following her daughter’s death, she contacted them and told them that she would be honored to be on their board helping with outreach and awareness in the minority community as it relates to Leukemia and other blood cancers.
Davis is now holding various fundraising events for this mission.
For more information or to make a donation visit, wi.mway.llsevent.org/ptoshadavislefore.