Hand in Hand with Howard
Donation protected
On August 20th, 2018, approximately one week after proudly bringing his youngest son (of 4 children) to college to begin his freshman year, Howard Hilfstein was admitted into Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital with pneumonia symptoms. He was unable to breathe on his own, his symptoms worsened, and within 24 hours he was moved to the ICU. He was placed in a medically induced coma and put on a respirator in an effort to stabilize his condition.
He was diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease. After not responding to treatment, his bodily functions became compromised and required dialysis. With teams of doctors on his case, he was transferred to two more hospitals as experts feverishly worked to diagnose his condition. He spent time at Roswell Park Cancer Institute and Buffalo General Hospital. Howard’s body had trouble coming out of the coma, and was unable to open his eyes for 60 days. Presently, after multiple severe infections, & invasive procedures, he has been diagnosed with AML. Acute Myeloid Leukemia is a type of cancer in which the bone marrow makes abnormal myeloblasts (a type of white blood cell), red blood cells, or platelets. This type of cancer usually gets worse quickly if it is not treated. It starts in the bone marrow (the soft inner part of certain bones, where new blood cells are made), but most often it quickly moves into the blood, as well. It can sometimes spread to other parts of the body including the lymph nodes, liver, spleen, and central nervous system (brain and spinal cord).
Howard is now paralyzed on the left side, has very little functionality, is unable to feed himself and cannot swallow normal food. Howard received daily physical therapy recently at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, NY. He now temporarily resides in Schofield Residence, a local nursing facility. His daily rehabilitation has slightly improved his movement and function; however, we are now facing the pivotal time in this journey, in which his health insurance has ceased coverage.
His family is faced with a very large emotional and financial burden.
Howard is in need of continued rehabilitation and chemotherapy and cannot wait any longer. We are patiently awaiting further improvement and tangible sustainment. This requires special care, special transportation, and special support, Hand in Hand with Howard. His family cannot do it on their own. Now is the time when you can make a difference. Please give them a hand.
Your kind support will directly contribute to quality of life. Thank You.
Please direct any personal family inquiries to: [email redacted]
He was diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease. After not responding to treatment, his bodily functions became compromised and required dialysis. With teams of doctors on his case, he was transferred to two more hospitals as experts feverishly worked to diagnose his condition. He spent time at Roswell Park Cancer Institute and Buffalo General Hospital. Howard’s body had trouble coming out of the coma, and was unable to open his eyes for 60 days. Presently, after multiple severe infections, & invasive procedures, he has been diagnosed with AML. Acute Myeloid Leukemia is a type of cancer in which the bone marrow makes abnormal myeloblasts (a type of white blood cell), red blood cells, or platelets. This type of cancer usually gets worse quickly if it is not treated. It starts in the bone marrow (the soft inner part of certain bones, where new blood cells are made), but most often it quickly moves into the blood, as well. It can sometimes spread to other parts of the body including the lymph nodes, liver, spleen, and central nervous system (brain and spinal cord).
Howard is now paralyzed on the left side, has very little functionality, is unable to feed himself and cannot swallow normal food. Howard received daily physical therapy recently at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, NY. He now temporarily resides in Schofield Residence, a local nursing facility. His daily rehabilitation has slightly improved his movement and function; however, we are now facing the pivotal time in this journey, in which his health insurance has ceased coverage.
His family is faced with a very large emotional and financial burden.
Howard is in need of continued rehabilitation and chemotherapy and cannot wait any longer. We are patiently awaiting further improvement and tangible sustainment. This requires special care, special transportation, and special support, Hand in Hand with Howard. His family cannot do it on their own. Now is the time when you can make a difference. Please give them a hand.
Your kind support will directly contribute to quality of life. Thank You.
Please direct any personal family inquiries to: [email redacted]
Organizer
Eli Honig
Organizer
Buffalo, NY