Help Alan Gunnels beat Cancer!
Donation protected
Edward Alan Gunnels is a loving father, husband and one of the most genuine people you could ever meet. He has 2 children, a daughter (age 14), and a son (age 17). He has been married to his loving wife, Gail, for 23 years. “Al” has been employed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for over 25 years, where he works as an Air Traffic Control Specialist at the New Orleans International Airport. He is also a member of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA).
Al began feeling sick in October 2014, and for months, the doctors could not figure out why. He underwent numerous tests, and was still left without answers. The struggle to find out what was wrong led him to MD Anderson in Houston, TX. It was there, in March 2015, that Al was unfortunately diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma.
Al began treatment shortly after his diagnosis. Although this caused him to be temporarily unable to perform his air traffic control duties, he still showed up to work and was willing to do whatever work there was that needed to be done. Finally, in September of 2015, he went into remission.
After finally getting his medical clearance back from the flight surgeon, Al returned to his air traffic control duties. Everyone was so happy to have him back! But this excitement was short lived. In May 2016, a PET scan showed a recurrence of Hodgkins Lymphoma. This was verified with a biopsy.
Al is now facing this battle once again. His treatment plan this time is different from the first. It includes 3 cycles of chemo, followed by a stem cell transplant. The stem cell transplant will require roughly a 2 month stay in Houston at or near MD Anderson. Of the 2 months, 30 days will be spent in the hospital. Gail will be traveling between New Orleans and Houston during this time to care for their children as well as caring and supporting Al through his treatment. After this treatment, Al will need some recovery time at home. The length of this time at home depends on how well he is doing.
We are asking for donations to help this family. It will be very expensive to undergo treatment (a second time), especially when such a large portion of his treatment will be in a different state. He will need to miss a lot of work, and unfortunately does not have the sick leave balance that he had prior to undergoing treatment the first time. His wife, Gail, is also going to be taking time off of work in order to help with the treatment. They will both need to pay for hotels, medications, travel expenses, as well as their usual monthly expenses for their home and family. Although they are not the type to ask people for monetary help, we have asked them to allow us to set up this page because they are a wonderful family who deserve every bit of help that people are graciously willing to send their way. The money raised in this account will go directly to Al and his family to help with all of the expenses they are facing. Please consider making a donation, no matter how small. Every little bit helps.
Sincerely,
Brandi Nesladek (on behalf of MSY NATCA)
and Vicki Couvillion
Al began feeling sick in October 2014, and for months, the doctors could not figure out why. He underwent numerous tests, and was still left without answers. The struggle to find out what was wrong led him to MD Anderson in Houston, TX. It was there, in March 2015, that Al was unfortunately diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma.
Al began treatment shortly after his diagnosis. Although this caused him to be temporarily unable to perform his air traffic control duties, he still showed up to work and was willing to do whatever work there was that needed to be done. Finally, in September of 2015, he went into remission.
After finally getting his medical clearance back from the flight surgeon, Al returned to his air traffic control duties. Everyone was so happy to have him back! But this excitement was short lived. In May 2016, a PET scan showed a recurrence of Hodgkins Lymphoma. This was verified with a biopsy.
Al is now facing this battle once again. His treatment plan this time is different from the first. It includes 3 cycles of chemo, followed by a stem cell transplant. The stem cell transplant will require roughly a 2 month stay in Houston at or near MD Anderson. Of the 2 months, 30 days will be spent in the hospital. Gail will be traveling between New Orleans and Houston during this time to care for their children as well as caring and supporting Al through his treatment. After this treatment, Al will need some recovery time at home. The length of this time at home depends on how well he is doing.
We are asking for donations to help this family. It will be very expensive to undergo treatment (a second time), especially when such a large portion of his treatment will be in a different state. He will need to miss a lot of work, and unfortunately does not have the sick leave balance that he had prior to undergoing treatment the first time. His wife, Gail, is also going to be taking time off of work in order to help with the treatment. They will both need to pay for hotels, medications, travel expenses, as well as their usual monthly expenses for their home and family. Although they are not the type to ask people for monetary help, we have asked them to allow us to set up this page because they are a wonderful family who deserve every bit of help that people are graciously willing to send their way. The money raised in this account will go directly to Al and his family to help with all of the expenses they are facing. Please consider making a donation, no matter how small. Every little bit helps.
Sincerely,
Brandi Nesladek (on behalf of MSY NATCA)
and Vicki Couvillion
Organizer and beneficiary
Brandi Nesladek
Organizer
Laplace, LA
Edward Gunnels
Beneficiary
