Dentures for Dominic
Donation protected
In 2013 my brother, Dominic Archuleta, who is currently 41 years old was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). The initial treatment was a very intense chemo regiment which resulted in him being in remission. The long-term treatment plan was to continue with chemo for 5 more years. Unfortunately, during the first round of chemo his liver was not holding up very well and the decision was made that he could not handle the 5-year chemo regiment.
The next and only option was a bone marrow transplant. So, we started down the path looking for a matching donor. Luckily, I ended up being a perfect match what a miracle considering I’m his only sibling. In March of 2014 Dominic, my mother, and myself relocated to Portland Oregon for the bone marrow transplant which was a success. Dominic and my mother were in Oregon for a total of 6 months which took a huge financial toll on him and my parents.
Throughout this whole situation Dominic never asked for any financial help. During the first 6 months of his treatment he had excellent insurance through Sandia National Laboratories which was his employer when he was diagnosed. Unfortunately, Sandia National Laboratories eventually ended up firing him due to his illness and the excellent insurance was gone.
Despite the success of Dominic’s bone marrow transplant Dominic continues to have multiple health problems due to Chronic Graft Vs Host Disease (GvHD). GvHD is a condition that might occur after an allogeneic transplant. In GvHD, the donated bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells view the recipient's body as foreign, and the donated cells/bone marrow attack the body. Dominic’s chronic GvHD requires him to be on several medications including inmmunosuppressive drugs.
Dominic was not allowed to brush his teeth during the treatment for ALL due to possible bleeding problems caused by his severely low platelet count. The inability to brush, chemo treatments, and total body radiation along with multiple prescription medications for GvHD has now left Dominic with major dental problems. He is getting better every day but to get more strength and to eat properly he now must get dentures.
Normally dentures wouldn’t and shouldn’t be a huge expense but due to Dominic’s health issues the procedure must be done in the hospital under anesthesia. Dominic currently has no dental coverage, is on a fixed income, and the medical insurance that he currently has will not cover the dentures that he desperately needs.
Believe it or not I have chosen to not go in to detail about all the things Dominic has been through the last 4 years because we know that he’s not the only person out there with problems. It is with great pain and embarrassment that he must ask for financial help to get his much-needed dental work completed.
The current estimated cost of Dominic’s dentures is $6886.68 and he's hoping to have the procedure done in February of 2018. There is no way that Dominic or my parents can afford to pay this amount out of pocket. We would greatly appreciate any help Dominic can get to fund his dental procedure in any way possible.
The next and only option was a bone marrow transplant. So, we started down the path looking for a matching donor. Luckily, I ended up being a perfect match what a miracle considering I’m his only sibling. In March of 2014 Dominic, my mother, and myself relocated to Portland Oregon for the bone marrow transplant which was a success. Dominic and my mother were in Oregon for a total of 6 months which took a huge financial toll on him and my parents.
Throughout this whole situation Dominic never asked for any financial help. During the first 6 months of his treatment he had excellent insurance through Sandia National Laboratories which was his employer when he was diagnosed. Unfortunately, Sandia National Laboratories eventually ended up firing him due to his illness and the excellent insurance was gone.
Despite the success of Dominic’s bone marrow transplant Dominic continues to have multiple health problems due to Chronic Graft Vs Host Disease (GvHD). GvHD is a condition that might occur after an allogeneic transplant. In GvHD, the donated bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells view the recipient's body as foreign, and the donated cells/bone marrow attack the body. Dominic’s chronic GvHD requires him to be on several medications including inmmunosuppressive drugs.
Dominic was not allowed to brush his teeth during the treatment for ALL due to possible bleeding problems caused by his severely low platelet count. The inability to brush, chemo treatments, and total body radiation along with multiple prescription medications for GvHD has now left Dominic with major dental problems. He is getting better every day but to get more strength and to eat properly he now must get dentures.
Normally dentures wouldn’t and shouldn’t be a huge expense but due to Dominic’s health issues the procedure must be done in the hospital under anesthesia. Dominic currently has no dental coverage, is on a fixed income, and the medical insurance that he currently has will not cover the dentures that he desperately needs.
Believe it or not I have chosen to not go in to detail about all the things Dominic has been through the last 4 years because we know that he’s not the only person out there with problems. It is with great pain and embarrassment that he must ask for financial help to get his much-needed dental work completed.
The current estimated cost of Dominic’s dentures is $6886.68 and he's hoping to have the procedure done in February of 2018. There is no way that Dominic or my parents can afford to pay this amount out of pocket. We would greatly appreciate any help Dominic can get to fund his dental procedure in any way possible.
Organizer
Elke Murphy
Organizer
Albuquerque, NM
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