Bryan's Leukemia Fund

            Hello friends and family. This is my boyfriend, Bryan Cheatham. Bryan is 27 years old and is a senior in college, majoring in business management and organizational studies. Before attending college, he served in the United States Coast Guard for 4 years.

            Over this past summer, Bryan continually mentioned feeling tired and worn down, which was unusual, considering he is a very healthy eater, full of energy, and actively participates in crossfit. However, we attributed it to the fact that he had just come home from studying abroad in Vietnam for a few weeks, which was an exhausting trip. Two weeks ago, he visited the doctor, and the doctor sent him to the hospital after discovering that his hemoglobin level was 4x lower than normal, explaining his constant fatigue.

            Bryan was immediately admitted to the hospital, and after doing various examinations and testing, 11 days ago he was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia, also called Acute Myeloid Leukemia. The doctor estimates him to have had Leukemia for at least a year, which came as a great shock.

            Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow. The word "acute" denotes the disease's rapid progression. It is called Myelogenous, or Myeloid Leukemia, because it affects a group of white blood cells called the myeloid cells, which normally develop into the various types of mature blood cells, such as red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.

            He has just finished 7 days straight of chemotherapy, 24 hours everyday, and will be in the hospital for another three weeks at least. Towards the end of this stay at the hospital, he will undergo another chemotherapy treatment, also continuously running for 24 hours each day.

            Bryan is the strongest person I know and is handling this situation better than any of us. His spirits are high and his outlook is incredible. He can't wait to get out of the hospital so he can go see Disneyland at Christmas time. :)

            I come to all of you with a heavy heart, not because there is no cure, or I feel that Bryan will not win this fight, because I know he will, but because, along with any type of cancer treatment, comes a huge financial burden. On top of all of the medical expenses that come along with this, Bryan still has to pay his rent, bills, etc., and has been given no choice but to quit his job for the time being.

            If you are able to donate, no matter how big or small, it would be so appreciated. Outside of monetary donations, if you would keep Bryan in your thoughts and prayers, that would also be amazing.

            If you know Bryan, you know that he is so willing and eager to help others, and never asks for anything in return. My goal is to provide as much financial relief as possible for Bryan, so that his main focus can be on his health, rather than on worrying about how he will take care of the financial aspect that comes along with all of this.

            Thank you so, so much for all of the love and support that has already been shown to Bryan and his family, as well as my family. All of the encouraging and comforting words mean more than anyone will ever know.

            Thank you for taking the time to read this.

            xoxo, Kelsey Frauenheim