Aman Family Living Expense Fund During Treatment

Dear loved ones,

As many of you know, my dear friends Michelle and Tolan Aman made a very serious, unexpected discovery—a hard lymph node above Tolan’s clavicle.

They quickly visited a doctor to get an X-Ray, PET-CT, and a biopsy. These tests revealed several masses in his chest, a growing mass in his abdomen and neck, and concern for cancerous growth in his right iliac crest of his hip. Tolan has been diagnosed with having Stage 4A or "Advanced" Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

As if a cancer diagnosis is not stressful and scary enough, Michelle is currently 9 months pregnant and due any day. While the Aman family has health insurance, this does not cover all medical expenses—such as calendar year deductibles, monthly insurance premiums during Michelle’s maternity leave, medication co-pays, and any alternative therapies for cancer, such as extended acupuncture for pain and extra medication for nausea relief.

Unfortunately, because of the immune risks associated with Tolan’s treatment, he cannot return to his job as an LNA on the neurosurgery floor at the hospital. Chemotherapy will greatly increase his risk of infection during yet another COVID-raged winter. Exposure is just too dangerous for him and the new baby.

Tolan is currently scheduled to complete at least 6 months of chemotherapy, receiving treatments every two weeks. 

As you can imagine, this diagnosis has broken their hearts and shattered their expectations for their first year of parenthood. The young family initially planned to move back to NY in the spring to be closer to family and friends. However, all of the family’s medical benefits are held by Michelle’s current employment at UVMMC, inspiring the difficult decision to continue living in VT for the remainder of the year. Everyone hopes for remission before next winter.



So many people have already reached out with love and support, for all of which they are thoroughly and forever grateful. With the current state of COVID, receiving in-person help from friends and family will be extremely scary and difficult. 

 

Instead, I'm putting together this fundraiser page for their living expenses, and to update everyone on Tolan's recovery and the delivery of their baby.

 

I've calculated their rent, moving expenses, gas, and food expenses for the entirety of 2022. If anyone would like to see my calculations, I will happy share. This amount will give Tolan the ability to stay home while he is in active chemotherapy treatment and to watch the baby without worrying about rent, bills, and food, while Michelle returns to work after her maternity leave ends to keep their insurance for Tolan's treatment.

This GoFundMe page is directly linked to Tolan and Michelle’s joint bank account. A link to their Venmo will also be shared soon.

 

Thank you all so much, if you can't give, please send out a prayer for Tolan and Michelle and their baby. Pray for their safety, and Tolan's quick recovery.

* And thank you so much for reaching out, we know you want to support as much as possible. Please refrain from asking questions if you reach out directly to the family. Even something like “how are you” can require a lot of emotional labor and pressure. Sending encouraging words without expecting an answer or offering space to vent is a lovely way to show emotional support. 

 

If you would like to support the Aman family monetarily without incurring the GoFundMe default fee, you can send money directly to Michelle's Venmo account. @Michelle-Perricone-Aman