Alexia's Battle with Thalassemia Major Cooley's Anemia

Imagine being 17, a junior at Perry High School, full of life and talent, but also battling a critical illness. That's Alexia Xenikakas. Born with Thalassemia Major/Cooley's Anemia, she relies on life-saving blood transfusions every 2-3 weeks. Despite her challenges, she maintains a part-time job at In-N-Out Burger. However, this very act of determination has led to the loss of her Arizona state medical insurance, as her income is now considered too high. Luckily, her care has been picked up by her family's insurance which leaves them with a $6,300 deductible plus the cost of her monthly medication costs which exceed $16,000, creating an impossible financial strain. We are reaching out to our community for support to help Alexia continue her fight and access the vital care she needs.

We are asking for donations to lessen the blow of the medical costs to the family as this critical care is incredibly expensive.

An official fundraiser is in the planning stages. Please reach out to Mimi Citarella at [phone redacted] or Athena Vigil-Light at [phone redacted] for details.

Thalassemia Major, also known as Cooley's Anemia, is the most severe form of Beta Thalassemia. The lack of beta protein in the hemoglobin causes life threatening anemia which requires regular blood transfusions.

These regular lifelong blood transfusions causes an iron overload which must be treated with chelation/meds therapy to prevent an early death from organ failure.

The only widely available cure for beta thalassemia major is hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) (bone marrow) from a compatible donor.