Healing for the Sanderson Family

My heart is bursting. Like many of you, I know, we want to do something for this great family. What can one person or family really do? I think as an extension on this great family we can all bring something to the table.  Scott Harmon and I have been friends for over 2 decades, I have gotten to know his in-laws quite well over the years they are like a 2nd family.  I asked Scott to put together some words and thoughts about what we can do as friends and family to help with the healing.
Note from Scott:
About 20 years ago, I married into the coolest family. The Sandersons were a happy, active family of 6. Michael and Debbie and their four kids, Shawna, Kristy, Kelly and Scott. Before Shawna and I were married, however, Scott was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). While this was a difficult time for Scott and the family, they were optimistic and even found moments to be cheerful during the trial. Unfortunately, things did not get better for Scott. Even after trying new, promising techniques and medicines, Scott's condition worsened. After about 18 months of constant care, medicine and worry, in November of 2000, at the young age of 13, he passed away. This was a devastating blow to the family. A low point. So low, that I didn't know how my new in-laws were going to recover. We would meet on important dates at Scott's grave and have family prayers. With time, things started to go back to normal. As normal as they could with Scott being gone.
For the next 15 years, Michael started showing what we thought were signs of stress and grief. He suffered from strange illnesses like open sores literally all over his body. Or massive cankers filling not only his mouth but down the lining of his throat. If he was cut in any way, it took an unusually long time to stop the bleeding. He had a knee surgery go very wrong when the incision site just would not heal and started to fester. This was an incredibly stressful time for his family. Watching him suffer in pain and worrying about his welfare took a toll on everyone. After seeing several doctors and specialists, he was finally diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome. Also called, preleukemia. While the diagnosis answered many questions, it raised one that Michael wanted an answer to. Was his condition, including the leukemia, hereditary and is that why Scott died 15 years prior? He was told that it was NOT hereditary. That this was an unfortunate coincidence. For the next couple of years, Michael's health slowly deteriorated. He regularly needed blood transfusions. He started to lose weight and had little energy to do anything but continue on. This was a great trial for everyone, but especially Michael. He LOVED being outdoors. He desperately wanted to play with his grandchildren. He missed being able to go on random excursions with his wife in their truck with their toys. At a certain point, the doctors told him that if he didn't get a bone marrow transplant, he would not have much more time. Because the mortality rate was so high even for bone marrow transplants, Michael was able to stave off the transplant with chemotherapy for a short time. This was a brutal process and took a lot out of him. Ultimately, he was officially diagnosed with AML. The same leukemia that took his son all those years ago. He was admitted to the hospital to begin preparations to become a good candidate for a bone marrow transplant. I have never seen Michael have a better attitude than he did while in the hospital. He was so weak. So thin. And yet, he was always so excited to see his family and spend what time and energy he could with his 6 grand kids. Debbie was incredibly loyal. She stayed by his side and practically moved in with him into the hospital. She, of course, was as exhausted. Putting everything aside to be there for her best friend. All three daughters would visit with their father almost daily. Trying to be cheerful and optimistic just for him. Michael never did become a candidate for the bone marrow transplant. After a heartbreaking evening in December of 2017 where we all had the chance to say goodbye to him and him to us, he passed away. Once again, this was a devastating blow to the family. Michael had lived a good, full life, but at 65, we all felt he had so much more to give. Another low time for the family. He was buried right next to Scott, where we could again meet at the graveside, and have family prayers.
Unfortunately, the trials for this family did not end there. Several months before Michael passed away, Kristy miraculously became pregnant. Another story for another time. She and her husband Ryan had adopted their first child and were ecstatic at the good fortune of being able to bring another child into their little family. The pregnancy, itself, went very well. The baby was growing and the parents were excited. Not too long after though, her doctors noticed unexplained anomalies in her blood. After broadening the scope of tests, they discovered a heart breaking result. Kristy was diagnosed with CMML or Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia. Leukemia AGAIN!!! After having three members of the same family being diagnosed with this awful cancer, she gained the attention of some different cancer research clinics. After some testing, it was determined that this was indeed hereditary through some genetic mutation. The family, of course, was devastated by the diagnosis. But in true Sanderson fashion, they rallied together, found joy in being together, dug in their heels and trudged forward! The doctors were incredibly optimistic because they found this early on. Kristy was very healthy and had virtually no symptoms yet. The plan was to carry and deliver the baby at full term and then start treatments to prepare for a preemptive bone marrow transplant. This would allow Kristy to have a long and full life. The family was anxious but happy to know that her outlook was positive and hopeful. The baby came a little early, but was otherwise healthy and a beautiful blessing to the whole family. Not long after that, Kristy was admitted to the same hospital as her father (who had only passed away about 3 months prior) to begin her triumphant defeat of leukemia. She had her bone marrow transplant. It went well and took quickly. Her numbers were looking great except for her liver. Her liver started to have issues stemming from the transplant, but still, things looked good and hopeful. Having just lost Michael, the family was on pins and needles waiting for her to get better. Ultimately, Kristy became very jaundiced. She stayed in the hospital for 2 months. Again, Debbie practically moved in to the very same hospital she had been at only months before. Ryan was trying to be optimistic, but had to make sure his children (2 and 6 months) had a home to stay at while he was loyal and staying by his wife's side. Shawna and Kelly visited regularly. Between them and Ryan's family, their kids bounced from house to house for care. It was a very stressful time for everyone. Kristy did eventually come home but quickly got worse. After only a few days at home, she was admitted to the same ICU that her father had passed away in. In one day, most of her major organs began to have problems or fail. In another heartbreaking evening, we had a chance to say goodbye to Kristy. She died only a couple days ago in July of 2018. She will be buried close to her father and brother. Frankly, we are still reeling from the shock of this blow. It is a very low time again.
This family has been through so much pain and heartache. Those of you that know them personally know that they are a good, wholesome and happy family. They are strong and incredibly close. But one can only take so much. This whole family, now down to 6 adults and 6 children, needs to escape. If only for a moment. I am hoping that through the generosity of those that have known this family or who can relate, they can take a vacation somewhere that will allow them to recover from the shock of the deaths of family members and begin the healing process that only time can do. They need to play and laugh.
Throughout this whole ordeal, the Sandersons have been blessed to have such great family and friends to love and support them. It has not gone unnoticed.

Thank you,

Scott Harmon