Help Alexander in his fight against leukemia

Our dear friends, Jennifer & Steven Meng, were hit with some devastating news last week. Their 3 year old son, Alexander Meng, was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). He's the silliest little boy who loves all things Cars, construction vehicles, books, and food.

The journey to this diagnosis was a rough 1.5 months for him and his parents. It started the week before Halloween when his right arm started hurting. X-rays showed a shadow but nothing conclusive, so doctors put on a cast with the assumption that it may have been a hairline fracture due to a recent fall. However, the pain didn't go away and he also started limping, which was separately diagnosed as toxic synovitis. His parents felt something was off and decided to get a second opinion. Second set of x-rays showed no fracture, but initial blood work showed slightly concerning numbers, which then required even more blood work. For the next few weeks, his body started to fail him... with each week bringing a different ailment - pain in his left arm, inability to fully close his left hand, pain in his right knee, swollen eyes, pain in his right ankle. He couldn't walk, he couldn't play, he couldn't go to school. After many doctor visits, x-rays, and blood draws, he was officially diagnosed with leukemia this past Friday.

On Monday, Alexander will have surgery for port placement (which will be used for his chemo treatments) and a bone marrow aspiration to fully understand how aggressive this cancer is. Chemo will also start this week and may continue for 6-9 months. Because he'll be immunocompromised, he'll no longer be attending school and may not be able to receive as many visitors. His life and the lives of his parents have been completely turned upside down.

The journey ahead will be long and hard for him and his family, but the Mengs have a strong village behind them. And while we have to leave Alexander's medical treatment in the hands of his doctors, we're hoping this money, which will go directly to the Mengs, will help make other parts of their lives easier - whether that be for food, unexpected hospital bills not covered by insurance, etc.

Thank you so much in advance for your contribution, no matter how big or small. Your help is very much appreciated!

With deep gratitude,

Jen (on behalf of the Mengs)