Lila Javan

Lila Javan is a two-time cancer survivor and the founder of Climb2Cure at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. In 2010, Javan's life was turned upside down when she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Leukemia (AML). She was told that her only chance for survival was a stem cell/bone marrow transplant, which she underwent in the fall of that year with her sister as her donor. After a year in turmoil, Javan recovered and rebuilt her life as a cancer survivor.

In 2014, her next adventure was to be a solo trip to Africa to climb Kilimanjaro. The very week that Javan was booking her flights, she discovered that her cancer was back. In September 2014, after another summer of chemo, she had a second transplant. This time, they were stem cells from an unrelated donor.

While Javan was in the hospital, a friend took a window frame and placed a beautiful photograph of Kilimanjaro in it. He hung this on the wall opposite her bed. Throughout her treatment, Javan would stare at that window and visualize herself climbing the mountain. Her doctors and nurses all asked about the picture, and she would tell them about her magical trip. Then, an amazing thing happened - Javan's solo trip became a group trip. Now, 14 doctors, nurses, therapists, and friends wanted to journey with her to climb the highest peak in Africa.

She reached out to LLS to see if they could do the trek as a fundraiser for them, and "Climb2Cure" was born. Her solo climb evolved into a new Team In Training fundraising platform for LLS that will continue for years to come and expand to other mountain tops, and Javan's team raised an astonishing $133,000 for their climb. Javan now serves as a campaign development manager for the Man and Women of the Year Campaign.

Javan is also a filmmaker who has photographed award-winning features, commercials, documentaries, and short films.