Howard Strand - Medical Fund

Tammy Kennedy is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Dawn Kennedy.

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Dear Friends,

Can you imagine what it feels like to helplessly watch a loved one struggle with a life threatening illness? You may have waited half a lifetime, as did I, to finally meet the man or woman of your dreams, the love of your life and your best friend. Howard Strand and I fell in love, enjoyed a long courtship and married in 2014, enjoying the many well wishes for health and happiness from you, our family and friends. Vowing to be there for each other in sickness and in health you realize the power of love.

The week before Christmas, 2016, Howard had his annual physical, which included the usual blood work, and two days before Christmas he received a call from his doctor. You would not believe how that 30 second phone call changed our lives forever. Howard was told to go to the hospital immediately - he has Acute Myeloid Leukemia or AML, a cancer of the white blood cells and bone marrow which interferes with the production of normal red and white blood cells and platelets.

Howard has been hospitalized now for 2 months and has underwent 2 rounds of chemotherapy treatments and still feeling the side efects of the chemotherapy. On Valentines Day we received great news from the doctor that the bone marrow was cancer free. He is still in the hospital where he will remain for about 2 more weeks until his blood count comes up. Then we need to wait a couple months for Howard to recover to get the bone marrow stem cell transplant.

AML progresses quickly if untreated, while some types of acute leukemia can be cured with just Chemotherapy, Howard's case will need the bone marrow stem cell transplant for the best long term result. You can imagine how quickly medical bills accumulate for the hospital expenses, physician care and chemotherapy treatments.

Would you please consider making a gift to Howard’s medical fund to help with the bills? It can be done through Howard’s www.gofundme.com account and would be greatly appreciated. Please keep Howard in your thoughts and prayers.

Yours sincerely,

Dawn Kennedy-Strand