Brian Spike’s Fight Against Leukemia and COVID-19

8/2/2020 UPDATE:

The response from friends and family has been a true blessing. Brian has had a rough week following his bone marrow transplant; so please continue to share the message and pray for Brian’s path to recovery. 

❤️

BRIAN SPIKE’S FIGHT AGAINST ACUTE MYELOGENOUS LEUKEMIA (AML)

On April 20, 2020, my best friend of more than thirty years started his day like any other - working his tail off. Out of character and feeling out of sorts, he left work early and headed to the ER fearing a positive COVID result. Within hours the diagnosis was far worse - acute myeloid leukemia. He spent the next 30 days in the hospital and has been there more than home in the interim.

Today is a big day as Brian is back in the hospital to prep for a bone marrow transplant from his younger brother. He will likely be there for 5-6 weeks; and I just pray he gets back home in time to celebrate his birthday. He will undergo rigorous chemotherapy in preparation for the transplant next week.

Brian is the best of the best - simply one of the kindest, selfless and most genuine people I’ve ever known. He would do (and has done) literally anything for his friends and family for whom he has tremendous love - especially his nephew Samuel who views him more like a second dad than an uncle.

I was fortunate enough to spend some time with Brian when I visited Ohio a couple weeks ago; although our time was cut short when he had to be admitted to the hospital yet again due to complications. As if a battle with AML is not enough; brain bleeds, blood clots, low platelet levels have also been part of the equation.

While insurance and grants will cover most if not all of his medication - the monthly expense of the drugs is astronomical. His family has been a great source of strength and support for Brian, and like Brian ask for nothing other than continued prayers and good juju. But many of his friends and I have wanted to do something like this for Brian from the get-go; and the delay in doing so is strictly due to his wishes that no discussion of his diagnosis be put on social media.

So in that light, not only have I not tagged him in this post - I have blocked him from even seeing it (I will deal with the gentle giant later). Please contribute what you can whenever you can, and keep him and his family in your prayers.

With love and admiration for Brian and all of you.

Emily Beebe Taylor