Climbing Kilimanjaro for Pediatric Leukemia & Mental Health

This November, I’ll be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro as part of a deeply personal mission to raise funds and awareness for two causes that have profoundly shaped my life — pediatric leukemia & mental health.

This climb is symbolic on many levels—physically grueling and mentally demanding, just like the battles so many face every day.

100% of all donations to be split evenly towards the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS)

LLS has been instrumental in driving groundbreaking advances in leukemia treatment. Because of the funding their grants go towards, childhood leukemia now has a 90% survival rate. Sophia herself received two rounds of an immunotherapy drug that had recently been fast-tracked through clinical trials which will hopefully play a critical role in preventing relapse. We were lucky to receive all her treatments at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, one of the world’s leading pediatric cancer centers and a major recipient of LLS-supported research.

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

This fundraiser is also a chance for me to be open & vulnerable about my own journey. While I may come across as energetic & outgoing, I’ve struggled with depression & anxiety through adolescence into adulthood. As a man, I never had the courage share my struggles and felt easier to bottle it up. Over these last few years with a major life change & the severe health issues my daughter was going through, I suffered a bad manic-depressive episode which spiraled me to a very dark place including suicidal ideation. With the support of my incredible family, I received help and was diagnosed with bipolar II disorder. It’s been a journey of lots of therapy, medication, & fitness which are all a constant effort but I’m proud to say I’m in a great place today thriving personally & professionally. So I want to help break the stigma around mental health especially for men, who make up nearly 80% of all suicides.

Your Donation Will Help:

✅ Fund life-saving leukemia research and treatment

✅ Support families battling pediatric leukemia

✅ Raise awareness around mental health—particularly among men

✅ Strengthen mental health crisis support like the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

This journey up the mountain is personal, but it’s not one I’m doing alone. Thank you so much for your support—whether by donating, sharing this page, or simply reading my story.

Let’s climb together—for courage, for hope, and for change.