Kelly Delaney and Ellie Strockis, seniors at Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, were named finalists in the “Commitment to Curing Cancer: High School Fundraising Campaign,” sponsored by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The pair was one of a handful of teams that raised over $50,000 to fund blood cancer research.
In 2001, at age 3, Kelly was diagnosed with acute T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia. She was admitted to the ICU at City of Hope with little hope of survival. After three rigorous years of chemotherapy and other treatments, her doctors deemed her cancer-free. Not long after that, Kelly and Ellie met and have been best friends ever since.
Kelly swims competitively, is a debutante and a member of YMCA Youth & Government, and wants to study psychology and therapy in college.
Ellie loves all things media, film and Photoshopping and hopes to pursue a career that’s related to those fields. Together, Ellie and Kelly are also part of their school’s yearbook club.
“I am eternally grateful to the doctors at City of Hope and I am so encouraged by how far the treatment in cancer has come!” said Kelly. “I am inspired by my past experience with cancer and hope to make a difference in the future.”