November 30: So, I got some of the chemo on Tuesday and Wednesday  and that brought me down for a couple days. But now I'm feeling better.

Anyways, I just finished putting the names of all the people that have written me letters on the "Points of Life Letters" page! Check it out.

November 22: I'm home from the hospital again! The result of the biopsies were good. So, the doctors decided to continue with the treatment. It begins tomorrow. The plan is that I'll get a little more chemotherapy and then we'll proceed with the bone marrow transplant.

Thanksgiving is coming up and I thought that it would be a perfect time to deliver our letters to President Bush. I am looking for a well-known humanitarian/actor/actress to deliver the Peaceisthecure.org letters to the White House. Please ask your friends and family if they know anyone well-known, and loved by the public who would like to participate in our fight for more research funding. Please let me know if you have any ideas. Thanks so much!  

November 15: Hey everyone! I'm still at home!! Awesome huh?! The results of the CAT scan were good. And I'm going to have a biopsy of my liver and intestine on Wednesday. Depending on the results of the biopsies the doctors will decide when I'll have my bone marrow transplant.

Nothing much besides that is happening. I've just been hanging out at home...with my dog! But it's great being home for more that just a couple days. Anyways talk to you guys later....

November 5: Hey guys! I finally started putting all the names of the people who've sent me letters on the "Points of Life Letters" page. You guys have to check this article out. It's about the first cancer survivor ever to climb Mt. Everest. (click here)

November 1: So, I stayed home for a couple days and then went back to the hospital for my 2nd (and last) cycle of chemo). It went really well and it defiantly wasn't as harsh as the first one. Yesterday, we came back from the hospital again, so now I'm home (I'm not sure for how long though). Now that the chemo is over, I'll get a CAT scan next week, and then the week after that I'll have another biopsy of my intestine so the doctors can see how well the chemo worked. Then, I'll have my 4th bone marrow transplant, but this time I'm going to get an unrelated transplant (which I've never had before). But I'm home for now!!

Okay, I'm really really sorry I haven't put all of your letters on the website. I've decided then I will just put all the names of the people who send letters in, because it's too much work for me right now to scan the letters. But I want to thank all of you for your letters so I'll put the names of all the people who send letters in on the "Points of Life Letters" page. Hope that's okay, talk to you later....

October 11: So, my doctors let me stay home over the weekend!!!! It's been awesome being home. So, this lady from the Kerry campaign called me, and she said that she is going to get my letter to Kerry. I guess it's really hectic for them right now...3 weeks from election and all. Anyways, I'll talk to you guys later...keep sending me letters!

October 7: Wow, so much has happened. On September 23rd I was well enough to leave the hospital, but not well enough to come all the way back to Ft. Collins. So, my mom and I stayed in an apartment near the hospital. We stayed there until Tuesday, and then we came back home- to Ft. Collins!! That's right I'm home!! Tomorrow, I have an appointment at the hospital and I might be admitted for my 2nd (and last) cycle of chemo, or my doctors might let me stay at home for a couple more days.

Sorry about all the letters not being on the website. I'll try to do it soon. Keep sending those letters!!

September 19: Hey, so I finally got around counting all the letters and the grand total is 311!!!!! Thank you so much everyone for writing a letter, spreading the word, and supporting the cause!!!! I'll put the total number of the letters up, but getting the letters on the website will take some time.

September 11: Today, I think, is a day to remember the lives lost in the World Trade Center and also to move on and think about the future, and most importantly, today is a day to slow down and cherish each moment.

September 10: My dad brought all the letters that I've received while I've been in the hospital to me. So, it was awesome seeing all the letters. I just wanted to let everyone know that all the letters will be put on the website, it will just take some time because I don't have too much energy right now. Thank you so much everyone for supporting Peace Is The Cure, and for writing and collecting letters!

September 8: I've been in the hospital for 30 days now. But I'm getting better, so I should probably be going home soon. I have to because all your letters are piling up and I have to scan them in! Anyways, keep sending me letters! Bye for now....

September 5: So much has happened. Well, I'm still in the hospital because some levels in my kidneys and liver are high so we're waiting for them to come down. But on the 31st the coolest thing ever happened, Ben Kweller my favorite singer/songwriter/pianist/guitarist ever visited me in the hospital and it was so cool. It was like my own personal concert! It was so cool! My mom and this lady who works at the hospital (Tommi) organized everything. And he gave me his email, and cell phone number, and autographed a bunch of things for me. It was so cool! Also, earlier this week my dad dropped off my brother to college. He's going to Wharton at the University of Pennsylvania. So, that was happy and sad at the same time. 

August 30: Hey guys! I'm still in the hospital right now. But a couple days ago I had an interview with The Coloradoan and the article just ran today! It's mostly about the letter I wrote to John Kerry. It's a really good article, but I just wanted to tell you guys that some of the facts are not exactly right. My goal is to get more research money for all cancers not just Leukemia, and the war would have to be stopped for one month (not one day) in order to double the entire National Cancer Research Budget. Anyways, the article is still really good and, you can check it out: (click here)

August 24: Hey everyone! Good news! Well, okay news and then good news, I'm still in the hospital but I just got Front Page on my mom's laptop (which I have here). So, I can update my website! The first cycle of chemotherapy is over, but it's just hitting me right now. I have 200 letters for sure, and I'm still getting some, but I don't know exactly how many I have because I'm in the hospital. Oh yeah, I sent a letter to Senator Kerry about PeaceIsTheCure.org Anyways, talk to you later..

August 9: I'm almost up to 200 letters!

August 7: Hey! I've got some bad news, I have leukemia again. I have to go to the hospital on Tuesday to start the treatment, so I won't be updating my website very often. But just because I'm not at home, doesn't mean you guys can start slacking! Keep sending me letters, because I'm still going to be working on getting more funding! Well, talk to you guys later..

August 2: Hey everyone! I probably won't be writing for a couple days, because I have to go to the hospital. For the past couple weeks I haven't been feeling too well. So, last Tuesday I got a CAT scan and it showed that my intestine was swollen. And because the doctors aren't sure why my intestine is swollen I have to get a biopsy. So, I'll talk to you guys later! :)

July 30: Hey guess what! Yesterday, I went horseback riding! It's was so much fun! Anyways, I just got 4 more letters, and 3 of them are in Japanese! Cool huh? Oh and you guys have to check out this really funny link: This Land

July 29: Hey everyone! I just wanted to say thanks to Alyssa Goldman for collecting 47 letters!! She organized an activity that was all about Peaceisthecure.org and encouraged the people in her camp to write letters. Thanks a lot Alyssa!

It's 12:11am, I started scanning the 47 letters in at about 10:15pm and I'm only a little more then halfway done! And after I'm done scanning all the letters in I have to put them on my website, but right now it' time for a break....be back later

Well it's 1:06am and I'm finally done scanning all the letters...well except for one 'cause I can't read the name! Haha! So, I'll try and put that letter on later, but right now I'm going to put the letters I just scanned on my website....

Well now it's 2:14am and I am finally done putting the letters on the website, and the grand total is....172!! YES!

July 28: Hey guys! I just got the package of 47 letters!! I'm going to be up all night scanning them in! Well, I better get to work. Talk to you guys later....

July 26: Hey everyone, sorry I haven't written in awhile my Mom, Dad, and I have been in Jackson Hole, Wyoming visiting some friends. It was pretty fun. We went on a scenic float trip down the Snake River, and saw a moose, a bunch of buffalo, a beaver, and some deer. Anyways, Shauna's (Umber's friend in Texas) sister, Alyssa went to a camp and she made everyone write a letter, so they just sent me 48 letters in the mail, I should probably get them in a couple days!!!!

July 20: Hey guys! I'm feeling a lot better today. And I got 3 more letters!

July 16: Hey everyone! I'm kind of bummed today. I was going to go to Denver with my friend Jill tomorrow to celebrate her birthday but I can't go because I've been feeling pretty bad ever since I got the chemo in my spine and it probably wouldn't be a good idea. So, that kind of sucks, but I got 3 more letters today so that's cool. I'll probably put them on the website tomorrow because I don't have a USB cable to hook up to my scanner right now. Talk to you guys later!

July 15: Hey guys. I'm not feeling so good today. Yesterday I had to go to the hospital for a check up and also to get chemo in my spine. Who ever heard of medicine making you feel sick? Chemo is so weird.  Anyways, talk to you later....

July 11: Hey everyone! So, my brother has a friend in Texas named Shauna, which is one of the reasons he went on a road trip to Mexico so he could visit her and her family. They have been helping me a lot with my cause, which is why I have a bunch of letters from Texas. So, Shauna's family told many people about my cause including the president of Temple Mount Sinai, Phil Rothstein, and he made a donation to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in honor of me! Check out the card The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society sent me (click here)

July 7: I'm up to 108 letters!!!!

A lot of the letters are from India, and my brother and I were talking and he said that because they aren't U.S. citizens they can't ask the Pres. to do something, so their letters don't count. So, I said they do count because they are world citizens and the President's decision affects the whole world. And then he agreed with me. What do you guys think?

July 3: Hey guys! Not much going on, I got a 3 page letter from someone! Pretty cool huh? Well tomorrow's the 4th of July, I might go to Jackson Hole, Wyoming for a couple days with my family, but we're not sure yet. Well, have a good 4th, set off a bunch of fireworks!

June 29: Wow, I can't believe I have 84 letters! Thanks everyone!

June 27: Hey, I saw Fahrenheit 9/11 yesterday. It's an awesome movie!  Michael Moore presents the facts perfectly. I'd recommend Fahrenheit 9/11 to anyone!

June 25: Guess what!!!! I'm on the front page of the Coloradoan!!!! check it out: (click here) We didn't even know that it was out, one of my brother's friends called us to tell us that it was on the front page! I can't believe it's on the front page, that means I'M front page news!!!! Thanks for all you're help everyone!

Today has been so cool! So, at about 1:45pm a cameraman called me from Channel 4 News and asked me if he could interview me because he saw the Coloradoan article. I said, "Sure, when?" And he said, "I was thinking right now, because we want to put it on tonight's news." I didn't know what to say because nobody was home and I wasn't sure if I should say yes, so I asked if I could call him back. And he said that it was ok. So, I called my mom a bunch of times and she didn't pick up her cell phone,  then I called Miramont Sports Center (the place she was working-out at) and paged her but she didn't hear it. So, I called my brother (he's on a road-trip to Mexico right now) to ask him what I should do, but he didn't pick up his cell phone. So, I called the cameraman back and said yes and that he could come right now, and he asked me if my parents said it was ok, so I said yes even though I hadn't talked to them yet. He said he would be at my house in 15 minutes! So, I called my dad at his lab, and made sure it was ok with him. Then about 10 minutes later the cameraman and my mom came, and we did the interview. So, I was Channel 4 News today at 6pm!!!!!

June 24: Hey everyone! The interview went really well. He asked me a lot about the letter President Bush sent me. And I think that it's going to run sometime next week! It'll be really cool when that article runs, and when the article the Gannett News Service reporter is doing runs because so many people will read them, and get interested. So, I'm just waiting for those articles to run. Well, talk to you guys later....

June 22: Hey guys, not much goin on today. I just got a couple more letters. Oh I forgot! And I'm going to be interviewed by the Coloradoan on Thursday, as a follow up to the article they did on me in May, so that should be pretty cool.

Anyways tomorrow I'm going to the hospital for yet another check-up. The docs are starting me on this medicine that's supposed to prevent Leukemia, which is cool but the only problem is that it's in the form of a shot! So, I'll have to be on it for 3 months and then off of it for three months. I think my doctor may be crazy...just kidding. ;) Well talk to you later!

June 21: Hey everyone! Check out this email I got today:

Hi Sonia:
 
My name is Sumit Mehrotra and i am a friend of Sameer (your cousin in India). He told me about your illness and the courage, grit and determination
of yours in fighting the disease. It provoked me to write this mail to you, not to show mercy but to let you know that how the action of yours is motivating people like me to take challenges in life- HEAD ON.
 
I salute your indomitable spirit and noble soul. The best way to do is to promise you that i will always follow the path of peace in a true sense and shall endeavor towards ensuring and promoting peace throughout the world in any small manner i can.
 
Thanks a lot for taking the lead in such a noble cause and lifting our spirits to work towards a brighter tommorrow.
 
May God Bless you and entire mankind,
 
 
Regards,
Sumit (a friend of yours)
 

June 20: Happy Father's Day!

So, I just thought that I should probably tell you guys a little about me. Well I guess I'll start with the not so good parts first. Okay, well I've had cancer on and off since I was 3 years old. The first time I had a tumor in my spine called "meningeal sarcoma with rhabdoid features." Don't ask me what it means all I know is that it was extremely rare. Then as a result of one of the chemotherapy drugs, I was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). After I received a bone marrow transplant from my brother in a Texas children's hospital we thought it was over. But then about 6 months later I had a relapse, because the doctors didn't do the procedure right. So, we moved to Colorado, for my dad's job and so I could be treated at The Children's Hospital in Denver. I received another bone marrow transplant from my brother (thanks Umber!). After that I was cancer free for 6 years! Then in March the docs told me I had relapsed again. So they tried something new they gave me a stem cell transplant, from my brother (thanks again!).

But anyways the point of me telling you all this is that I had a specific type of Leukemia called "monosomy 7". It's where chromosome 7 is partially or totally missing. This type is pretty rare, and because it's so rare hardly any doctors do research on it. Why? Because they don't have enough funding! So come on guys tell your friends and family about my website, and write some letters! We need more funding! Thanks!

June 18: Hey guys! I just wrote an article for a health newsletter called The Halcyon Connection, and it got approved! So, the article is going to be published in July! Check it out: (click here)

I just got 2 more letters, and it's only 9:41am!!

June 17: The transfusion went well...even though it took way too long.

You can check out Bush's letter now, even though there's not that much there ;)

I received 7 more letters today and it's only 1:30pm!

June 16: I was just getting ready to leave for the hospital when the door bell rang, guess what it was....a FedEx from the White House! So, I finally got Bush's response, I'll put it on the website when I get back.....

 June 15: Hey everyone! I just decided to start this blog to keep you guys updated. Today I received my 30th letter, and keep them coming!

Tomorrow I have to go to Children's Hospital and get a stem cell transfusion from my brother. It's supposed to prevent the leukemia from coming back, but hopefully I can get some letters from the hospital! Talk to you guys tomorrow.....