What began one day as a nauseous feeling for Greyson Gagliardo quickly turned into measles-like symptoms with a body rash, then developed into full-blown acute myeloid leukemia, or AML.

Thanks to medical treatment and, his family says, many prayers, Greyson, currently an 11th-grade student at Pinewood Christian Academy in Bellville, has been cancer-free for the past two years. He has regular checkups every six months and considers himself to be a survivor of one of the most dreaded forms of leukemia.

This year, Greyson is the designated Claxton/Bellville-area representative for the National Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. As such, Greyson is heavily involved in the society's annual "Pennies for Patients Campaign," a program of service learning, character education and philanthropy that gives students a unique experience in making a difference through teamwork. Greyson is a spokesman for the society and helps in the fundraising which aids in further research and family support.

"I'm very lucky to be here," Greyson says. "I would not be without the society's help and all of their research and resources."

During the 2012-13 school year, 783 Georgia schools participated in the Pennies for Patients Campaign and raised more than $663,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Greyson was a typical 13-year-old when his life began to change for the worse. Diagnosed within days of his first symptoms, Greyson would face a long uphill battle to control the often losing battle of AML.

"God steered us in the right direction that day when He led us to Memorial Hospital in Savannah," said Mondie Gagliardo, Greyson's mother, who is an art teacher at Pinewood Christian Academy in Bellville. "After we received Greyson's diagnosis, I prayed and gave him to God, put him on the altar, and never looked back."

Greyson's father, Michael Gagliardo, a nuclear medicine technician at Meadows Regional Hospital in Vidalia, knew they were in for a long battle.

Greyson was placed on a ventilator for one week and then two weeks in an induced coma. Heavy chemotherapy followed as Greyson and his family and friends prayed for a miracle. Four different kinds of chemo were administered for 10 consecutive days, and Greyson's body began to respond.

"I never felt scared," Greyson said. "I just tried to forget about it and move forward. There were so many incredible people who helped me through that time in my life, including Dr. Yael Elfassy-Connor, a pediatric intern at Memorial who was determined to figure out what was going on with me.

"My grandmother, Elaine Wallace, was an angel and a godsend," he continued. "The Blockers, Edgars and Randalls were visiting my hospital room regularly and inspired me to push on. One of my teachers, Haley Winters, came to the hospital over the eight months I was there and did homeschooling with me. I would never have made it through the eighth grade without her help."

In 2012, the society invested $76 million in research that was needed to improve outcomes for blood cancer patients of all ages.

The society also invests in research to develop new targeted therapies, including targeted drug combinations, that promise to be more effective and a less toxic treatment for leukemia and lymphoma patients of all ages. Leukemia causes more deaths among children and young people under the age of 20 than any other disease.