Dear Family and Friends,

Elise’s sister, Caroline, here, on behalf of both the Leal and Henreckson families. I am reaching out with a heavy heart and a hopeful request for support: Elise is now battling aggressive cancer for the second time.

Elise’s journey with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) began last September with a sudden diagnosis and relocation to Seattle for treatment at Fred Hutch Cancer Center. There she bravely endured multiple rounds of aggressive chemotherapy, full body radiation, and a bone marrow transplant with a grueling recovery.

This March — in the face of what felt like impossible odds — Elise was declared cancer free by her care team. She moved back to Spokane to begin a complex recovery road, and we celebrated her every positive check-up appointment and milestone. We were filled with hope.

Now, less than a year out from her transplant, we’ve received some devastating news: Elise’s cancer has aggressively returned.

She now faces a second cancer journey to include A) intensive chemotherapy and B) the goal of gaining her a spot in a clinical trial.

To witness our daughter/sister face this fight again is more heartbreaking than we can express. The road ahead is long, and the treatments will take a toll. With this comes a tremendous financial burden.

The funds we are now raising for Elise will go directly toward:

Medical Expenses: Covering the costs of chemotherapy, potential hospital stays, and specialized treatments not covered by insurance.

Living Expenses: Helping Elise and Davey cover their regular expenses so they can focus entirely on her care without the added financial stress.

Anticipatory Expenses (Clinical Trial): If Elise is accepted into a clinical trial, then the cost of new housing for her relocation will be substantial. Elise will also likely take professional leave to focus on her treatment during the trial period; the added funds will help recoup lost income and provide financial stability.

It is humbling to ask for help a second time, but we believe in the power of community and are holding onto hope. If you can, please consider making a donation. If you are unable to donate, then sharing her story with your friends and family is just as valuable.

On a more personal note: thank you for rallying around our beloved Elise. I don’t have words to express how hard the word, “relapse,” has hit our family, or the devastation Elise feels to again be facing a battle she hoped she’d already won.

Let’s reassure her and her husband, Davey, that they are not alone.

After her initial diagnosis last Fall, Elise’s pastor told her that “this will be a season of discovering how much people love you.” Please join me in surrounding her with that same love again — showing up with radical compassion, generosity, and faith.

We’ll keep you updated from here. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for standing with Elise as she fights this second fight.

(Please scroll down for a more detailed update, directly from Elise.)

With hope in our good God, and all our love and gratitude —

The Leal and Henreckson Families

______

ELISE'S UPDATE:

Hi friends,

Coming back to this page with a heavy heart. My leukemia has returned, aggressively. This is devastating for us, not least because up until a few weeks ago I was doing very well, and this feels like it came out of nowhere. The leukemia has developed a new mutation that presumably found a way to survive despite my transplant.

Under the guidance of my care team at Fred Hutch and my local oncologist, I will stay in Spokane for the foreseeable future to receive new rounds of chemotherapy. This will be a combination of a one-week infusion plus a pill that I will take daily. I’m told the chemo will be intense at first, but across time most people tend to adjust to it tolerably well. Fingers crossed that’s the case for me. I start the first dose tomorrow (Oct. 20).

The goal of this chemo is to contain further spread, and hopefully decrease the leukemia. The ultimate goal is remission, of course, but my team has made it clear that this will be very difficult to achieve, given that this is likely a “smarter” mutation. I am also on the list for a clinical trial at Fred Hutch (there are no open spots right now). Hopefully, the chemo will keep me stable long enough to take a spot once it opens, although we don’t know when that might be. If a spot becomes available, we’ll relocate to Seattle once again. Regardless of whether I get into the trial, my options are more about management than cure at this point.

Davey and I are brokenhearted. Our family and friends are already providing amazing support, and for that we’re grateful. I’ve been asked what kind of support we need at this point, so here are some thoughts:

· Several of you have asked if it’s okay to send notes, texts, or other messages of encouragement. Absolutely, yes. Davey and I might often not respond. But know that these gestures of love are never intrusive for us. They remind us that we are not alone.

· Pray.

· My sisters are putting out another GoFundMe request for some of our new medical and related expenses. If you are so inclined, the link is to the left.

· Several amazing folks in our local community have asked about other forms of support. Since I don’t know yet how I’ll tolerate this chemo, I’m not sure what we’ll need in terms of food drop off, possible help with driving me to appointments if I’m very weak, etc. As those needs become clearer, we’ll reach out. Thanks for all the advanced offers.

This is incredibly difficult to share. Thanks to each of you for helping Davey and I bear it. Much love to you all.

- Elise