Help for Anna-Maria Anna Grigorian
Donation protected
When I bought my home in Grandville 6 years ago, I hoped that my son Max would make neighborhood friends. My wishes were confirmed when Max met Lyova (and his brother Tegran) and discovered they were both Minecraft-obsessed soccer players.
If you know me, and you know Max, then you probably know Lyova :) Max and Lyova are teammates, locker partners, and extremely close friends. I've loved that my son can run outside and immediately have friends to throw a ball around with or play a game with.
There is no one in the world like Anna, Lyova and Tegran's mother. She is the heart and soul of her family, and she approaches life with a sense of humor and self-deprecation that is unapologetic, hilarious, and unique. We've bonded over our boys, and I've loved hearing stories about her family and growing up in Russia.
Last September, Anna told me she had been diagnosed with Stage 3 myelofibrosis, a rare form of blood/bone marrow cancer. The only real treatment for myelofibrosis is a stem cell (bone marrow) transplant. Over the past 18 months, I've watched Anna wait for a donor match, coordinate travel for her sister and family to get tested and eventually become a match, get the transplant and remain in incubation. And all the while, she's kept their family up and running.
In October, Anna was re-admitted into the hospital and has been there since due to a complication with the stem cell transplant, known as Graft Versus Host Disease.
Recently she has been transferred from Spectrum Health to the University of Michigan for further emergency treatment.
This has caused significant hardship physically, emotionally, and financially for their family, especially during the holiday season.
I keep asking Anna "is there anything I can do for you?" and her response is simply: "Love my boys." I absolutely do, but there was something inside me that wanted to do more.
Anna is one of those people that knows EVERYBODY, but I'm not sure if everybody knows just how much she is going through right now. If you've been touched by Anna, or you resonate with the power of 12-year-old boy BFFs, or still believe in the spirit of good neighbors, I ask you to please help Anna's family during this challenging time.
If you know me, and you know Max, then you probably know Lyova :) Max and Lyova are teammates, locker partners, and extremely close friends. I've loved that my son can run outside and immediately have friends to throw a ball around with or play a game with.
There is no one in the world like Anna, Lyova and Tegran's mother. She is the heart and soul of her family, and she approaches life with a sense of humor and self-deprecation that is unapologetic, hilarious, and unique. We've bonded over our boys, and I've loved hearing stories about her family and growing up in Russia.
Last September, Anna told me she had been diagnosed with Stage 3 myelofibrosis, a rare form of blood/bone marrow cancer. The only real treatment for myelofibrosis is a stem cell (bone marrow) transplant. Over the past 18 months, I've watched Anna wait for a donor match, coordinate travel for her sister and family to get tested and eventually become a match, get the transplant and remain in incubation. And all the while, she's kept their family up and running.
In October, Anna was re-admitted into the hospital and has been there since due to a complication with the stem cell transplant, known as Graft Versus Host Disease.
Recently she has been transferred from Spectrum Health to the University of Michigan for further emergency treatment.
This has caused significant hardship physically, emotionally, and financially for their family, especially during the holiday season.
I keep asking Anna "is there anything I can do for you?" and her response is simply: "Love my boys." I absolutely do, but there was something inside me that wanted to do more.
Anna is one of those people that knows EVERYBODY, but I'm not sure if everybody knows just how much she is going through right now. If you've been touched by Anna, or you resonate with the power of 12-year-old boy BFFs, or still believe in the spirit of good neighbors, I ask you to please help Anna's family during this challenging time.
Organizer
Jacqueline Flory Poehlman
Organizer
Grandville, MI