Michael Hammond's Cancer Battle
Donation protected
Mike is my older brother by two years. I have always looked up to him and thought everything he did was the coolest. Now, I'm watching him bravely fight his third cancer in 3 years and I look up to him now as a fighter.
Mike found out in September 2017 he has T- Cell Prolymphocytic Leukemia (T-PLL). At the time he was being evaluated for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), for which he had a bone marrow aspiration after he became symptomatic, and this new diagnosis was devastating! He had already successfully battled prostate cancer having had surgery and then he was diagnosed with CLL. But T-cell leukemia (T-PLL) is a rare and agressive disease comprising approximately 2 % of mature lymphocytic leukemias in adults. Without treatment, life expectancy is discussed in terms of months, not years.
Imagine the physical, emotional and financial costs of fighting three cancers in three years!
After three months of Immunotherapy, and the need for quick treatment, he was deemed a candidate for a Stem Cell Transplant (SCT). Without hesitation I was tested in hopes of being his donor. As we hoped, we found that I was an almost perfect match! Happy to learn I could play a role in saving my brother's life, I underwent a series of tests and neupogen injections to stimulate my bone marrow to produce stem cells.
My stem cells were harvested in mid-February and kept frozen until Mike was readied to receive them. They were transfused the day after Easter, and now Mike considers April 2nd, 2018 his new birth date!
So now we have truly started the battle and pray for victory over this third cancer, as he deals with the trials and tribulations associated with treatment. His body battles to start engrafting my cells and make them his own.
Mike is not without insurance, but out of pocket expenses have and continue to add up. During Q4 2017 alone these expenses tolled over $1,000 per week. Now he will be hospitalized until the end of April or longer until he is making enough of his own blood cells. Then he will spend three months recovering at home, making daily trips to the hospital for 100 days to monitor whether his bone marrow is creating healthy cells. And making sure he doesn't develop any life threatening infections.
His wife Corinne and his children, Michele and Eric give him the strength and will to fight. But all of Mike's friends, old and new, are encouraged to help with the financial burden by donating funds in whatever amounts you can.
Please share with your Facebook friends and family and encourage them to join me in supporting him physically, emotionally, and financially.
Mike found out in September 2017 he has T- Cell Prolymphocytic Leukemia (T-PLL). At the time he was being evaluated for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), for which he had a bone marrow aspiration after he became symptomatic, and this new diagnosis was devastating! He had already successfully battled prostate cancer having had surgery and then he was diagnosed with CLL. But T-cell leukemia (T-PLL) is a rare and agressive disease comprising approximately 2 % of mature lymphocytic leukemias in adults. Without treatment, life expectancy is discussed in terms of months, not years.
Imagine the physical, emotional and financial costs of fighting three cancers in three years!
After three months of Immunotherapy, and the need for quick treatment, he was deemed a candidate for a Stem Cell Transplant (SCT). Without hesitation I was tested in hopes of being his donor. As we hoped, we found that I was an almost perfect match! Happy to learn I could play a role in saving my brother's life, I underwent a series of tests and neupogen injections to stimulate my bone marrow to produce stem cells.
My stem cells were harvested in mid-February and kept frozen until Mike was readied to receive them. They were transfused the day after Easter, and now Mike considers April 2nd, 2018 his new birth date!
So now we have truly started the battle and pray for victory over this third cancer, as he deals with the trials and tribulations associated with treatment. His body battles to start engrafting my cells and make them his own.
Mike is not without insurance, but out of pocket expenses have and continue to add up. During Q4 2017 alone these expenses tolled over $1,000 per week. Now he will be hospitalized until the end of April or longer until he is making enough of his own blood cells. Then he will spend three months recovering at home, making daily trips to the hospital for 100 days to monitor whether his bone marrow is creating healthy cells. And making sure he doesn't develop any life threatening infections.
His wife Corinne and his children, Michele and Eric give him the strength and will to fight. But all of Mike's friends, old and new, are encouraged to help with the financial burden by donating funds in whatever amounts you can.
Please share with your Facebook friends and family and encourage them to join me in supporting him physically, emotionally, and financially.
Organizer and beneficiary
Patrick Hammond
Organizer
Austin, TX
Michael Hammond
Beneficiary
