Help Adrian Salazar fight Stage 4 T-Cell Lymphoma

Hi, my name is Michelle Spiess and I am fundraising for Erika Salazar and her son, Adrian. I apologize for the long description below! The cliff notes version is Adrian has stage 4 T-Cell Lymphoma and Erika has not been working since March and will not be able to return to work for a while.

As many of you know, Adrian Salazar has been very ill for the past 5 months. It all started with what they suspected was a virus or strep. Two weeks later, after not getting better, he was finally diagnosed with Mono. After not being able to handle the pain and a high fever, his mom, Erika, took him to Advent-Health Shawnee Mission on March 29th. He spent the next two weeks at Shawnee Mission in the ICU where they ended up having to intubate him. He was dehydrated and septic. Adrian’s liver and spleen were enlarged and his kidney function was declining. He received a port in his neck, blood and platelet transfusions, a spinal tap, and bone marrow biopsy. At this point, they diagnosed him with HLH and they believe the mono could have caused it. Only 3% of people with mono develop HLH. The treatment for this was chemo, which he started receiving in the hospital. On April 4th he was coughing up blood. They determined his blood was not clotting and his lungs were not getting enough oxygen. Within a day his lungs x-ray went from clear to being filled with fluid. On the 5th, they intubated and put him in a medically induced coma with continuous dialysis. His organs were starting to shut down. Adrian later stated that he felt that he had actually died as they were intubating him.

Adrian was intubated in early April after fluid filled his lungs.

On May 3rd the results from his bone marrow came back from the Mayo Clinic and he was diagnosed with stage 4 T-Cell Lymphoma. The next day he went to KU Medical Center and started an intense chemo regimen called SMILE (5 different types of chemo). He spent his 19th birthday in the hospital, just a few days later.

Adrian looking out the window on his birthday at his friends and family that drove up to the hospital parking lot to wish him a Happy Birthday!

Adrian is currently back at KUMC preparing for his bone marrow transplant where he is receiving daily chemo and twice-daily radiation. Erika will be Adrian’s bone marrow donor. She has been going to the cancer center to receive shots to prepare her body for the donation. On Thursday, July 29th, they collected her stem cells that Adrian will receive his transplant on Friday, 7/30.

Not only will Erika be his bone marrow donor, but she will also continue to be his caregiver. Erika has worked at the same preschool for the past 24 years. She loves her job, but unfortunately has not been able to work since March and will not be able to return for the unforeseen future. The first 100 days following Adrian’s transplant are the most crucial and they will need to ensure that Adrian does not have any germs brought into the house.

Adrian is an extremely bright and outgoing person. He was 2 weeks away from finishing his freshman year at UMKC where he was double majoring in Spanish and Biology Pre-Med. It is possible that he might lose his scholarships since he had to withdraw from school. The past five months have given Adrian a change of heart about his major. He is now wanting to go into nursing school because it was the nurses that have been there for him and helped him so much. Once becoming a nurse, he has said he might go on to become a nurse practitioner or possibly continue on to medical school.

Donations will go to help Adrian and Erika with their bills as she currently has no income coming in. Any donations would be greatly appreciated.

Exhausted from all his doctor appointments.