#BeBrave-Fight FA for Dylan
Donation protected
Dylan, son to Tommy and Laurie Crimella Gerhardt and brother to Ethan was recently diagnosed with Fanconi Anemia just a few short weeks ago. Fanconi anemia is a VERY rare gentic disorder that affects the bone marrow. As you can imagine, this has been a complete shock to everyone.
For those of you who know Dylan or have not had the pleasure yet, Dylan is just a sweet, loving and enthusiastic little boy. Just like all boys his age, he loves baseball. He keeps asking Tom and Laurie, why is this happening to me? This is just heartbreaking for everyone who loves this family!
Things have moved very fast since his diagnosis.
Dylan has already gone through a bone marrow biopsy which showed pre leukemia cells already in the bone marrow. Ethan, his big brother was tested to see if he was a match for his upcoming bone marrow transplant. He was not a 100% match so Cincinnati Children's went to the donor registry and found 2 complete strangers who were perfect matches. The donor will have his/her cells procured today (06/Oct) and he will start the infusion of cells hopefully on (07/Oct). To get ready for the bone marrow transplant, Dylan had to undergo chemotherapy since last week and it has been rough.
This journey is just starting. After the transplant, Dylan will be in the hospital for 90-120 days until his new transplanted cells engraft. After discharge, the family is required to stay within a few miles of Cincinnati Children's for daily testing. This will take them through the holidays and the beginning to mid of next year. Even after this, the way of life for Dylan will change forever as well as for the entire family.
We have opened this page not at the request of Tom and Laurie. We are doing this because we love them and want them to focus on Dylan and Ethan and not worry about anything else. So many people have asked what they can do, how they can help. This page is the first stop. We are planning lots of activities to raise funds and a percentage of these funds will go to the Fanconi Anemia Foundation to help find a cure for Dylan. Look for updates for fundraising opportunites in the coming months. We will be getting T-shirts, bracelets and more very soon. Show your #BeBrave support.
Let's ban together and help the Gerhardt Family #BeBrave - Fight FA for Dylan! Your generosity is greatly appreciated.
For those of you who know Dylan or have not had the pleasure yet, Dylan is just a sweet, loving and enthusiastic little boy. Just like all boys his age, he loves baseball. He keeps asking Tom and Laurie, why is this happening to me? This is just heartbreaking for everyone who loves this family!
Things have moved very fast since his diagnosis.
Dylan has already gone through a bone marrow biopsy which showed pre leukemia cells already in the bone marrow. Ethan, his big brother was tested to see if he was a match for his upcoming bone marrow transplant. He was not a 100% match so Cincinnati Children's went to the donor registry and found 2 complete strangers who were perfect matches. The donor will have his/her cells procured today (06/Oct) and he will start the infusion of cells hopefully on (07/Oct). To get ready for the bone marrow transplant, Dylan had to undergo chemotherapy since last week and it has been rough.
This journey is just starting. After the transplant, Dylan will be in the hospital for 90-120 days until his new transplanted cells engraft. After discharge, the family is required to stay within a few miles of Cincinnati Children's for daily testing. This will take them through the holidays and the beginning to mid of next year. Even after this, the way of life for Dylan will change forever as well as for the entire family.
We have opened this page not at the request of Tom and Laurie. We are doing this because we love them and want them to focus on Dylan and Ethan and not worry about anything else. So many people have asked what they can do, how they can help. This page is the first stop. We are planning lots of activities to raise funds and a percentage of these funds will go to the Fanconi Anemia Foundation to help find a cure for Dylan. Look for updates for fundraising opportunites in the coming months. We will be getting T-shirts, bracelets and more very soon. Show your #BeBrave support.
Let's ban together and help the Gerhardt Family #BeBrave - Fight FA for Dylan! Your generosity is greatly appreciated.
Organizer
Shawna Bredek
Organizer
Hamilton, OH