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2023 WTEN &
Nexstar Media
Remarkable Women of the Year!

Congratulations to Deanna Wicklund for being chosen the 2023 WTEN & Nexstar Media Remarkable Women of the Year!

A nationwide initiative to honor the influence that women have had on public policy, social progress, and the quality of life, celebrates local women that inspire, lead, and forge the way for other women.... Link to News Segment By Lydia Kulbida

The Unwavering Determination With Leukemia Warrior Deanna Wicklund

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Squeezing the lemons of life with zest. Meet Deanna Wicklund, wife, mom, and President of the not-so-profit, Wicklund Warriors. The self-professed leader of the Bad Blood Club, she and her Board assist local families with blood cancer. Why? Because she is a blood cancer survivor. She is a 10yr leukemia, stem cell transplant survivor and the steward of other survivors' stories. "Give it to me, I can take it"

 

Get ready to be inspired in this episode and learn how she turned a drastic diagnosis into a gift to others.

Apple Podcast Link

Spotify Podcast Link

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Nonprofit provides financial relief for blood cancer patients

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BY CAMILLE DELONGIS ALBANY/CAPITAL REGION

When you receive a life-altering diagnosis, it can be difficult to focus simply on getting better. Between medical bills, caring for your family, and continuing to make ends meet, the concerns are endless.

Wicklund Warriors is a Capital Region non-profit working to take the burden off people diagnosed with blood cancer.... Link to News  Segment

How It all began 

 

Our founder, Deanna Wicklund, was diagnosed with ALL leukemia on August 21, 2013. Her leukemia was so advanced that she needed to leave immediately for treatment at Dana Farber/Brigham Women’s in Boston. She left behind her four children while primarily in-patient receiving chemo and eventually her stem-cell transplant in Nov. 2013 from a Be The Match donor. Ultimately, returning home before Christmas to rebuild her body and immune system. A diagnosis like this causes a tremendous strain on resources and people. Without the support of her husband, his parents, and our community, the care of their family would not have been possible.

 

While in treatment, our community gathered a Light the Night team. There began the origins of what is now the 

Wicklund Warriors. This is how we pay it forward.

Wicklund Warriors is a 501c3 charity serving families in Albany, Columbia, Greene, Fulton, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren, and Washington counties battling blood cancers. We work directly with social workers in hospitals and cancer centers to identify clinically diagnosed Capital Region patients facing financial difficulty. 

 

How We Help

Through our annual fundraising efforts, we can provide financial and other assistance to our applicants. All our applicants are at or below 500% of Federal Poverty Guidelines. Our assistance comes in many forms that we tailor to each family's needs. We strive to engage with each applicant so we can thoroughly learn their story and share it with our followers. To keep up these engagements, we began the Bad Blood Club of fellow survivors. We want to be part of your journey. "No one fights alone"! We are riding right alongside you!

OUR BoarD

Deanna Wicklund - President

Jeff Wicklund - Treasurer

Michelle Dischiavo - Secretary

Jennifer Carron - At Large Member

Jim Calhoun- At Large Member

Bad Blood Club

Deanna Wicklund - ALL

Jim Calhoun - ALL

Chuck Aiken - AML

Scott Baker - 4x Diffused Lg. B-cell Lymphoma Survivor

Kassidy Krenzer - ALL

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