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For Karen Connelley, the fight against cancer is deeply personal — and now, it has become her platform.
Connelley has been selected as a 2026 Visionary for Blood Cancer United, formerly known as the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, a statewide honor awarded through nomination and a competitive selection process. As one of a limited number of visionaries chosen across Arkansas, Connelley will lead a 10-week fundraising campaign beginning February 18, with a bold goal of raising $100,000 to support cancer research and patient services.
“I don’t have $100,000 to give,” Connelley said. “But if everyone gives what they can — whether it’s $5 or $5,000 — every dollar matters, and everyone has ownership in this.”
Cancer has touched nearly every corner of Connelley’s life. Her mother and grandmother both died from different forms of cancer. Most profoundly, her husband, Dr. Jay Connelley, survived a rare form of leukemia after an intense battle that included months of treatment, insurance hurdles, and a stem cell transplant from his sister — a complete match.
“If my husband had gotten sick just a few years earlier, he wouldn’t be here,” she said. “That’s how fast research is moving — and why it matters.”
The treatment that saved Dr. Connelley’s life was once cutting-edge. Today, it is already nearing obsolescence, replaced by even newer therapies such as CAR-T cell treatments, which use a patient’s own cells to fight cancer.
“That’s what research does,” Connelley said. “It gives people more birthdays.”
While the experience was the hardest chapter of her life, Connelley says it gave her perspective — and purpose.
“There were days I didn’t think I could do it,” she said. “But I realized later that what we went through became a platform to give others hope.”
That hope is what drives her work as a visionary. Funds raised through Blood Cancer United go directly to research, patient support, and access to care — not through individual fundraisers.
“When someone clicks the link and donates, I never touch the money,” she said. “It goes exactly where it’s supposed to go.”
In addition to research, part of Connelley’s focus is patient support — helping families navigate lodging, transportation, medications, and the overwhelming logistics that come with a cancer diagnosis.
“No family should have to choose between medicine and survival,” she said. “And no one should have to fight alone.”
Connelley leads a growing team of nearly 10 members, each bringing their own cancer story to the effort — friends who have lost parents, siblings, and children, and others who are celebrating remission after stage-four diagnoses.
“Every person on this team has a reason,” she said. “This isn’t just my story. It’s our story.”
She hopes to grow the team even larger, welcoming anyone willing to help — whether through fundraising, sharing information, or spreading awareness.
“I’d love to have 100 people on my team,” she said. “You don’t have to raise a lot. You just have to care.”
As part of her long-term vision, Connelley also hopes to help organize future stem cell donor drives, particularly to increase donor diversity for Hispanic and African American patients — a critical need in transplant matching.
“Becoming a donor can be as simple as a cheek swab,” she said. “But it can save someone’s life.”
For Connelley, the goal isn’t recognition or competition — even though the campaign is structured that way.
“If someone raises more than me, that just means more money for research,” she said. “That’s a win.”
At its core, she says, the mission is simple.
“I want to make it easier for the next family,” Connelley said. “I want people to have access to treatment. I want hope. And if what we do helps give someone more birthdays, then it’s worth it.”
The 10-week campaign begins February 18. To count toward Connelley’s Visionary campaign goal, all donations must be made through her official Blood Cancer United fundraising link, which ensures contributions are properly credited to her team. Donations made directly to the organization outside of her page will not count toward her campaign total. The QR code for her page is included with this story.
Community members can:
The fundraising link and additional details will be shared through local media and community channels.
“Cancer doesn’t discriminate,” Connelley said. “And neither should hope.”
