Natalie's Everyday Heroes: Lori Williams, Visionary of the Year nominee

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- On June 8, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society wraps up its Visionary of the Year competition. It's the culmination of a 10-week fundraising effort for blood cancer research.

Lori Williams is one of this year's nominees. She's combining her passions to help the cause.

"Can everybody find a shape to stand on?" Williams calls out to a class full of students.

The room full of kids under five is organized chaos.

"Let's scoop up some more flowers," she said, making a sweeping motion with her arms.

Tiny feet stomp around the studio.

"Clap, clap, stomp, stomp, hooray!" Williams called out to the music.

Williams has been a dance teacher for years. She usually teaches special needs students with Darby's Dancers.

"I started dancing as soon as I could walk," she said.

This is a creative movement dance class at Liberty Dance Center in Waukesha.

"And I just love dance because it's such a fun way to express yourself and move your body," she said.

It's clear that's exactly what these kids are doing.

But for Williams, it's something more.

"Not only was it fun to get out, socialize and move our bodies, but it was for a good cause," she explained. 

In the middle of this sea of littles is Williams' son, Thomas.

"My son is a cancer survivor," she said.

The family learned he had leukemia right after his second birthday three years ago.

Her daughter, Verna, was just three months old.

"We had just celebrated his birthday and we were kind of getting in the groove of things as a family of four," Williams remembered.

What she calls the hardest months of her life followed.

"We rushed to Children's and we were there, admitted immediately, for a total of 35 days. And with the course of his treatment, we repeated that process six more times," she said.

She and her husband juggled Thomas' care and their brand-new baby.

Along the way, Williams also found a new calling -- to help families like hers.

"And I've been nominated for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Visionary of the Year based on my work in cancer advocacy," Williams said.

This dance class is part of her 10-week fundraising effort for the competition. It combines her passions for a cause close to her heart.

"Just that sense of satisfaction that I'm doing something to help others and make the world a better place," she said.

Williams says she was shocked to learn how little funding there is for childhood cancer. And she wants to change that.

She said Thomas is doing well now, so she can focus on her advocacy work.

If you'd like more information on Lori's fundraising efforts, visit Lori's Visionaries of the Year fundraiser.

If you'd like to nominate an Everyday Hero, send Natalie a message at [email protected].