Help Erik Beat Hodgkin's Lymphoma

In November 2017, Erik went to his primary care doctor complaining of some back pain and an enlarged lymph node. His doctor quickly ordered a slew of tests, and about a month later,  Erik was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Prior to his diagnosis, Erik was a healthy 27 year-old dude. His diagnosis completely blindsided us. 

Since December 7, 2017, Erik has undergone two immunotherapy treatments as a part of a clinical trial. He will undergo one more treatment in January. Luckily, the side effects of immunotherapy have been manageable for Erik. Other than fatigue and some soreness, he is feeling great. Since his first treatment, his original tumor on his lymph node has significantly shrunk and his back pain completely went away. 

Despite the progress and the effectiveness of immunotherapy, Erik will still need to go through 6 months of chemotherapy - administered every two weeks. This regimen of chemo will drastically suppress Erik's immune system to the point that Erik's doctors have recommended that he not work during this time. Erik's doctors feel confident that with this treatment plan, he is going to beat this. We have the utmost faith in our team of doctors at Northwestern. 

Now this is the hard part. The part that I never imagined writing. The part that I have re-written about 10 times already.

We need help. Cancer is expensive. Even with good insurance, it's extremely costly. 

Any contribution of any amount is so greatly appreciated. We are so grateful to all of our friends and family who have supported us. We have been blown away by your generosity, love and kindness. Every gift, every letter, every text, every comment has not gone unnoticed or unappreciated. 

If you are interested in another way to support us, you can also purchase Erik’s art here: http://eriklundquistart.com/shop

With love and gratitude, 
Alannah Hoefler (Erik's girlfriend)