Steven (Buttsy's) Medical Fund
Donation protected
Steve “Buttsy” Mitchell’s world was turned completely upside down on July 10, 2017. Buttsy was diagnosed with Leukemia. Not only did he find out he had Leukemia, but he has an extremely rare leukemia called T-cell-prolymphocytic leukemia (T-PLL).
What is T-Cell Prolymphocytic Leukemia?
T-Cell Prolymphocytic Leukemia is a mature t-cell leukemia with aggressive behavior and predilection for blood, bone marrow, lymph nodes, liver, spleen, and skin involvement. T-PLL is a very very rare leukemia, primarily effecting adults over the age of 30. It represents only 2% of all small lymphocytic leukemias in adults.
So how did this all come about?
Buttsy went into his primary doctor for a regular visit and his blood work showed some abnormalities. After a series of tests we got the bad news just 1 week before his 64th birthday!
What’s Buttsy’s conditions now?
Buttsy received his first chemo treatment on October 25th, 2017. He has been receiving chemo treatments 3 times a week and they have been working well at keeping the cancer at bay. However this is only temporary because this type of leukemia is smart and will start to fail if he doesn't do the stem cell transplant soon.
T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia is difficult to treat, and it does not respond to most available chemo therapeutic drugs. Many different treatments have been attempted, with limited success in certain patients. Doctors recommended that Buttsy go through the process of finding a donor and going through the Stem Cell Transplant process...So we did just that!!
On January 12th, Buttsy received news that he was matched with a Stem Cell Transplant donor! Although amazing news, Buttsy has a hard fought battle ahead of him.
The Road Ahead:
On February 26th he will be admitted into the hospital to start the hard core chemo to kill off the cancer in his blood. This will be extremely tough on him and he will have all those symptoms that come along with the chemo treatments.
After the transplant, Buttsy will need a full 100 days with 24 hour around the clock care. His first 30 days after the procedure will require inpatient treatment followed by at least 70 days of outpatient care. During this time Buttsy will be very weak and will need more help and care than I am able to give. Due to Buttsy not being able to drive or work as he fights this disease we will need to rely on as much help as we can get from our family, friends, and professional health care providers.
Help:
It is fight time! This horrible disease is trying to take Buttsy and I know I speak for many when I say that CAN'T happen. Buttsy means too much to so many people and he is not done leaving his mark and shining his light on this world. For the next 100+ days it’s going to be physically, emotionally, and financially taxing. We cannot do this without your help, which is why I am here asking for you to share our page, spread the word, and donate whatever you can to help. All donations will be used for medical costs, outpatient costs, and transportation costs.
Other Ways to Help:
I understand that not everyone is in a place to donate and that is completely OK! Your love and kind words are always a comfort and help reassure that we are not alone. Please continue to pray for Steve (Buttsy) as he continues to fight this awful disease.
Sincerely,
Lynn Mitchell
What is T-Cell Prolymphocytic Leukemia?
T-Cell Prolymphocytic Leukemia is a mature t-cell leukemia with aggressive behavior and predilection for blood, bone marrow, lymph nodes, liver, spleen, and skin involvement. T-PLL is a very very rare leukemia, primarily effecting adults over the age of 30. It represents only 2% of all small lymphocytic leukemias in adults.
So how did this all come about?
Buttsy went into his primary doctor for a regular visit and his blood work showed some abnormalities. After a series of tests we got the bad news just 1 week before his 64th birthday!
What’s Buttsy’s conditions now?
Buttsy received his first chemo treatment on October 25th, 2017. He has been receiving chemo treatments 3 times a week and they have been working well at keeping the cancer at bay. However this is only temporary because this type of leukemia is smart and will start to fail if he doesn't do the stem cell transplant soon.
T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia is difficult to treat, and it does not respond to most available chemo therapeutic drugs. Many different treatments have been attempted, with limited success in certain patients. Doctors recommended that Buttsy go through the process of finding a donor and going through the Stem Cell Transplant process...So we did just that!!
On January 12th, Buttsy received news that he was matched with a Stem Cell Transplant donor! Although amazing news, Buttsy has a hard fought battle ahead of him.
The Road Ahead:
On February 26th he will be admitted into the hospital to start the hard core chemo to kill off the cancer in his blood. This will be extremely tough on him and he will have all those symptoms that come along with the chemo treatments.
After the transplant, Buttsy will need a full 100 days with 24 hour around the clock care. His first 30 days after the procedure will require inpatient treatment followed by at least 70 days of outpatient care. During this time Buttsy will be very weak and will need more help and care than I am able to give. Due to Buttsy not being able to drive or work as he fights this disease we will need to rely on as much help as we can get from our family, friends, and professional health care providers.
Help:
It is fight time! This horrible disease is trying to take Buttsy and I know I speak for many when I say that CAN'T happen. Buttsy means too much to so many people and he is not done leaving his mark and shining his light on this world. For the next 100+ days it’s going to be physically, emotionally, and financially taxing. We cannot do this without your help, which is why I am here asking for you to share our page, spread the word, and donate whatever you can to help. All donations will be used for medical costs, outpatient costs, and transportation costs.
Other Ways to Help:
I understand that not everyone is in a place to donate and that is completely OK! Your love and kind words are always a comfort and help reassure that we are not alone. Please continue to pray for Steve (Buttsy) as he continues to fight this awful disease.
Sincerely,
Lynn Mitchell
Organizer
Lynn Mitchell
Organizer
Surprise, AZ
