Scarsdale Kids To Be Honored by Charitable Foundations

Aerin Cantor, sophomore at Scarsdale High School has been named the 2016 CCFA Take Steps "Honored Hero" for Westchester/Fairfield and Rockland. In addition to the honor, she is also the captain of her team, The Rolling Crohns & Colitis. Co-captaining her team is 4th grade Edgewood student, Ryan Leitner. This year's walk takes place on May 22nd at 4pm at SUNY Purchase College.

Aerin Cantor is living with ulcerative colitis which combined with Crohn's disease, are painful, debilitating digestive diseases affecting more than 1.6 million American adults and children, including an estimated 80,000 patients under the age of 18. Cantor was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis when she was in fourth grade. "I started to experience horrible stomach pains, weight loss, bad headaches, and I was really tired all of the time. I didn't know what was wrong with me. I am the only person in my family to be diagnosed with such a disease so it was very new to my family and me. It took time to adjust to this new change."

"I am sharing all this information with you so everyone understands the importance of research and fundraising to help find a cure," says Aerin Cantor. "I am proud to say that in the past six years, our team has raised almost $100,000! I hope that you will be able to participate and help me and others fight for a common goal, to cure these invisible diseases! Join the fight and walk with me on Sunday, May 22nd!" You can donate to Aerin and her team by clicking here.

Light the Night Honors Ross Silverberg

The Connecticut Westchester Hudson Valley Chapter of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) has named Ross Silverberg of Scarsdale as an Honoree for its 2016 Westchester County Light The Night® Event. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Light The Night Event raises funds to support blood cancer research and provide services to patients and their families. Each Light The Night Event honors local blood cancer survivors and commemorates individuals who have lost their lives to these diseases. The Westchester County Light The Night Event will take place on Saturday, November 5th at Kingsland Point Park in Historic Sleepy Hollow, NY.

Registration is now open here.

Ross was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) when he was two years old in September 2014. His family noticed that he was walking with a limp and little Ross kept complaining of bone pain. Ross's family took him to the doctor where a blood test confirmed his diagnosis of ALL. Ross is currently in treatment and having endured intense chemotherapy, spinal taps, and loss of his hair, he is now in the maintenance phase for treatment, allowing him to be and feel normal once again. His hair is growing back and his personality has returned in full force. The maintenance phase has allowed Ross to be around his family and friends and finally start school. Although Ross is in the maintenance phase, he still has to go through many more chemotherapy treatments and is still taking his oral chemotherapy on a nightly basis. In addition, Ross endures spinal taps every three months as well as steroids. Ross still has until December 2017 to be finally declared a cancer survivor.

Though Ross has had a difficult journey, his family says that he never lets them see him sweat. According to his mother, Jill, "Ross is a fighter and one of the strongest boys out there. " Through all of this, Ross never loses his spirit, laughter, or sense of humor and he enjoys spending time playing baseball, collecting matchbox cars, working on arts and crafts, and spending time with his family and friends.