John Gray is a lot of things to a lot of people!
He's a husband, attorney, and proud father. He's also a master fundraiser.
"We raised about $220,000 in 10 weeks," explains Gray.
Gray raised so much money, he was the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's "Man of the Year" award winner in 2018.
It's an impressive title, but something he is even more honored to be called father to a cancer survivor.
"I was at work when I got a call from the pediatrician...she had said I need you to sit down. The blood work doesn't look good, I think that it's leukemia," explains Lindsey Gomez-Gray, John's wife and mom to Lily and Lincoln.
In 2016, Lily was diagnosed with Pre-b Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, or ALL.
Nick Ciletti: It sounds like it was a rollercoaster.
Gomez-Gray: It is — and it's awful and I think it's still something we process as a family.
After several grueling rounds of chemotherapy, numerous hospital stays, and a lot of prayers, Lily is on the other side of her cancer journey. She still gets checked twice a year, but now, Gray and his entire family are turning their focus to how they can fight for others.
Gray says part of that mission is pushing for new treatments.
"It is difficult because there is nothing you can do and you are in where you have to put this poison into her body to save her life," says Gray. "And just, as a parent, you always want to do what's best for your kids, and what's going to protect them, but sometimes you have to make these impossible choices."
Gray goes on to say that although there have been slight improvements to treatments, for the most part, treatments have remained the same for decades.
"For standard pediatric leukemia, a lot of it is the same. Thankfully there have been a number of breakthroughs but not for the standard treatment, typically. So things are improving, but I think things could improve more. Nationally there is not a lot of funding that goes to pediatric cancer."
ABC15 checked and according to a number of reports, only 4% of all federal funding for cancer research goes to pediatric cancers.
But for Gray, it's also about taking action for the kids who are in the middle of this battle right now.
"We try to take a 360-degree approach. We want to find better cures. That's the research part. But also recognize the kids that are going through it now are they deserve to have happiness too and we are so proud to support organizations that focus on that."
In total, Gray and his team have raised close to $300,000 for LLS.
Ciletti: Instead of sitting around and feeling sorry for yourselves, you guys got to work.
Gray: If there is any small thing that we can do to help others, to make it so that someone else's life is easier, so that visit we had to PCH won't be as hard for the next family, we are very lucky to be in a position to be able to do that.
If you'd like to help raise money for Team Lily, head to their funding page.
The LLS Visionaries of the Year event will take place on Saturday, May 20.
