Hello Friends and Family!
As you may have heard, my Dad, Brian Herrstrom has been battling MDS Myelodysplastic syndrome since his diagnosis in May 2020 but we have a feeling he has been living with this for longer.
MDS are an often unrecognized, under-diagnosed rare group of bone marrow failure disorders, where the body no longer makes enough healthy, normal blood cells in the bone marrow. The disease is also known as a form of blood cancer or “pre-leukemia”. It is rare and affects fewer than 200,000 people in the US each year. The only known cure for MDS is a bone marrow/stem cell transplant and Bone Marrow Cancer is one of the most expensive cancers to treat.
We decided to start this go fund me page to help Brian and Tamara through this trying time. We really wish we could physically be there with them but living so far away it has been so hard to be supportive. This awful COVID Pandemic has made it difficult to travel as well so we decided creating this for them would really be the least we could do. I know they are not looking for charity and they could handle anything that is thrown their way but if we could provide them with a tiny bit of relief it would mean the world to us!
Brian has done so much for us, his family, his friends and his community. Last year, while on “vacation” he helped build a new set of stairs for our deck and installed lights in our kitchen! This guy just does not stop giving. He is the kind of person that would give the shirt off his back, no questions asked! He worked for over 40 years serving as Park Ranger for Polk County Conservation recently retiring in December 2019. Over the years, he has also served as a Peace Officer, Volunteer Assistant Fire Chief and Firefighter, a Cub Scout leader and an even better friend, brother, son, husband, father, and the best Grandpa!
Back in May when he spiked a fever with coughing, shortness of breath and weakness the first thought was COVID but the urgent care doctor suspected something else. He was immediately sent to the emergency room, additional blood tests confirmed Myelodysplastic Syndrome. That afternoon was the first of MANY bone marrow biopsies and a long, scary path progressing towards the more familiar term “Leukemia’. Brian was diagnosed in Des Moines, IA with MDS EB-1 with excess blasts.
He was referred to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN (a 3 hour drive) and test results showed MDS EB-2 along with chromosomal mutations. The initial plan was that he would go straight to bone marrow transplant once a donor was found but the number of blast cells in his blood was too high so Chemotherapy was necessary. Brian started chemo at Iowa Methodist hospital in June, having to have daily blood tests and many blood transfusions. So far Brian has had five bone marrow biopsies and six Covid-19 tests. I am sure you all can imagine how pleasant SIX Covid tests have been!
Without his garden or workshop to tinker in, Brian would walk laps in the hallway to build up his strength for the challenges ahead. Even getting confused for a doctor a time or two. Some good news is that Brian’s sister, Dana, is a match for transplant!
Brian had his first round of pre-transplant chemo close to home but after the treatment his blood counts were too low for him to safely travel to Mayo for his follow-up appointments causing everything to be delayed. Once he was able to be released from the hospital, Brian got to spend a week at home before traveling back to the Mayo Clinic for another Bone Marrow Biopsy and more blood test. They met with the doctors and found that Brian’s blasts have increased to 15% and therefore is being admitted to Mayo for Targeted Chemotherapy. Hopefully, the Bone Marrow Biopsy at the end of this round will show him in remission or at least a blast count well under 5%. That would enable him and his sister to start the Transplant regimens.
Brian and Tamara have made multiple trips back and forth from Home to Mayo, paying for hotels, food, gas, etc. For several months they will be residents of Minnesota before, during, and after the transplant. They will be staying at the Gift of Life Transplant house with a cost of about $3,640 for four months. They are not sure what the care after the transplant will entail or how often Brian will need to be seen by doctors at Mayo.
As I am sure you are all well aware, Insurance does not cover everything including travel expenses, food or lodging for the patient, caregiver, or donors. Expenses are accumulating astronomically with no end in sight and the fear that insurance will not cover everything is paralyzing. Insurance has not yet covered $21,352.30 for the very first office visit, biopsy and blood work. The anti-fungal medication he is on is $2,400.00 a month. The Targeted chemo drug they will be putting him on is $5,000.00 to $10,000.00 a month. Brian’s last stay at the Hospital in Des Moines has already charged over $153,000. We cannot even fathom what a few months in and out of the hospital with multiple rounds of chemo, biopsies and blood transfusions will run. Tamara and Brian have already paid almost $3000 out of pocket and that is with generous help from gift cards and other kind donations from some really great people!
Anyone who would like to help with the overwhelming expenses can donate here. Prayers, well wishes, phones calls, texts, Facebook messages, cards, jokes, and memes are all welcomed and encouraged!
If you would like more information on MDS, you can visit www.MDS-foundation.org