Raising funds for cancer research isn't something Alexis Berger does to fulfill a school requirement or simply feel better about herself.

For the junior attending Carbon Career & Technical Institute, the fight is personal.Berger's nephew, Anthony Hettler Jr., was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia at 4½ years old.Berger and fellow CCTI junior Nicole Anthony, both members of the school's HOSA organization, spearheaded a campaign that raised $1,000 for the eastern Pennsylvania chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.HOSA is made up of hopeful future health care professionals."Not everyone recognizes the pain leukemia and lymphoma patients go through," Berger said."A lot of the other types of cancer are better known, so we felt it was very important to try and bring some attention to this form of the disease."It's very satisfying to get the results we did."Hettler's storyA lump formed near Hettler's groin area after his cousin pushed him into a wooden toybox, Berger said.Shortly after the lump formed, he struggled to walk and started losing weight."They did many checks, but nobody seemed to know what was wrong," Berger said.After feeling better for around a month, the symptoms returned and the leukemia diagnosis wasn't far behind.Berger described her nephew's numerous hospital stays, bone marrow tests and spinal taps."I would ask him how he feels and he said it's terrible," she said. "He hates having to get poked with the port."Now 6 years old, Hettler is in remission, and his chemotherapy is scheduled to end in November."He'll still have to get checked because the cancer can come back, but things are looking up," Berger said.Exceeding a goalCCTI raised $250 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society last year and raised their goal to $500."I think the most exciting part was watching the totals come in, and as we got closer to $1,000, we just couldn't believe it," said Felicia Tarantino, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society campaign manager.Donations go toward treatment, research and financial support for patients such as gas money to get to appointments."Everyone was so generous with their donations," Anthony said. "It's great to know how many caring people support this cause."Fundraisers included selling ice pops, bracelets and chocolate bars, a Chinese auction and basket bingo.The eastern Pennsylvania chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society raised over $3 million last year."We want to be the voice for all blood cancer patients, and donations like this help us do that," Tarantino said. "The goal is to continue to get out in front of this."The survival rate was 3 percent in 1960 for leukemia and lymphoma. That number has skyrocketed to over 90 percent."People may not realize it," Tarantino said, "but every donation helps save a life."