Group helps Latinos fight blood cancers

When Jimmy Maridueña, 33, was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia in 2004, a nurse told him not to worry and handed him a business card for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS).
Maridueña had originally gone to the hospital because of a painful bump on his gluteus that he figured was a simple infection, but instead he had Leukemia, a malignant cancer that affects white blood cells and the bone marrow. That’s when Maridueña decided to give LLS a call.
“I called The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and since then they have been providing me with invaluable help,” said Maridueña. “There aren’t a lot of places like this one. They provide so much information and offer monthly workshops where they have taught me different ways to cope with my illness.”
Maridueña is Ecuadorian and has lived in Ridgewood for two years now. He speaks a little bit of English, but is more comfortable speaking Spanish. LLS provide patients like him with information in both languages.
“They send brochures to my house in English and in Spanish about Leukemia and how to deal with it, so I don’t have to worry about not understanding something,” Maridueña said.
Maridueña is a graphic designer, but does not work steadily. Still, he has a wife and two young daughters to support.
“Most of the time I work and Jimmy stays with the girls,” said Maridueña’s wife Edda Martinez. “He works from time to time, but because of the amount of doctors appointments he has to keep up with and also his overall mood and feelings of well-being, which vary because of the Leukemia, he can’t work every day.”
The non-profit organization founded in 1940 offers services for free and a $150 stipend to help offset expenses for drug treatment costs and transportation needs not taken care of by the insurance companies. This year they granted 40,392 patients with this aid. LLS helps patients regardless of their immigration status.
“We link them with doctors that do volunteer work for us, educate them about what rights they have and what they are entitled to, and teach them how to navigate the system to find whatever financial help they may need,” said Laura Ortiz-Ravik, the community outreach manager for Latino and Hispanic communities at the New York City Chapter of LLS.
Leukemia is one of the top 10 occurring cancers in all races and ethnicities. It is estimated that 259,889 people in the United States are living with, or are in remission from, Leukemia. About 1 in 2 Hispanic men and 1 in 3 Hispanic women will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society.
“The truth is that without the help I’ve received from LLS, I wouldn’t be as informed and tranquil as I am right now,” said Maridueña. “I simply take it one day at a time and right now I am feeling well and medically speaking a lot better than before.”
For more information, visit: www.leukemia-lymphoma.org or call 212-376-7100.