Dariel's Brave Battle with Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Dariel, my godson was diagnosed with classical Hodgkin's Lymphoma, in April of 2023. He was just 19 years old. The prognosis for this type of cancer is usually good, with a high survival rate. Dariel underwent 12 rounds of chemo in a matter of 5 months and was in remission in October. Unfortunately, he relapsed in July 2024.

As a result, doctors have determined his best chance is to undergo a blood stem cell transplant. This process entails six rounds of immunotherapy, a cycle of ICE chemotherapy, 12 continuous days of Neupogen injections, followed by the collection of stem cells on day 13. After a week of rest, he will then have 6 days of aggressive chemo to wipe out his bone marrow and red and white blood cells and on day 8 he will start the stem cell transplant. He'll remain in the hospital for 2-3 weeks to be supported by blood and platelet transfusions, in hopes that everything will regenerate itself.

Once released from the hospital, he will have to stay nearby at a hotel for another 2-3 weeks because he will be at risk of possible complications, like fevers and infections. He will need 24 hours monitoring during this time.

At minimum, this is a 60 day process that involves daily trips to UCLA Westwood from San Pedro, Ca, along with hospital and hotel stays.

Dariel is only 20 years old and has his whole life ahead of him. He has been handling all of this incredibly well, with courage and grace. The constant appointments, tests, procedures - the endless poking and prodding have left him emotionally and mentally drained with more treatments to come. He will be spending Christmas, New Years and possibly his 21st birthday in the hospital.

In his current condition, he's unable to attend school, work and earn an income and his mother, a single mom, is doing her best to manage the unexpected costs of this situation, with the mounting financial strain making it increasingly difficult to keep up. Any money raised will help with medical bills, meals, gas, assistance for care for his 8 year old sister and loss of pay for his mom, who cannot shoulder this alone.

Your support, whether through donations or by sharing this message, can make a world of difference, and allow Dariel and his mom to focus on his healing - both physically and mentally.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for any support you can offer.

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With heartfelt gratitude,

Ivette Nemitz