Help Andrew Kick Leukemia to the Curb... AGAIN!

As many of you know, Andrew Ellicott (Drew) was 10 years old when first diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) a few days before Thanksgiving in 2019. AML is a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow. AML requires very aggressive treatment so when Andrew was checked into the ER on Saturday, November 23rd he was not discharged until December 24th when his counts were high enough to allow him to be home for a one-week break, to rest & enjoy the holidays with his family, in between rounds of chemo. Andrew spent the majority of his time living at Children's National Hospital up until his final discharge on April 29, 2020.

Andrew had his two-year anniversary of being cancer free on April 29, 2022, and we all thought he was cured. It is rare for this cancer to return when two or more years out from treatment. However, on November 9th, we received the devastating news that Andrew's cancer has returned. It has been a devastating time for the family as they've been retraumatized in witnessing the brutal side effects of chemo, adjusted to a life lived inside a hospital room and begun navigating the uncertainty that comes with treating relapsed disease. Andrew will need to undergo a bone marrow transplant in February to ensure that this cancer does not return. It will be a long road for Andrew and his family, and your support is greatly needed. Both parents must take turns daily to stay in the hospital with Andrew while trying to work. Between the uncertainty of medical expenses not covered by insurance, the long road to recovery, and the possibility that one parent may have to take some time off from work to help Andrew at home post-transplant, this emphasizes the need for support from friends, family and the community.

Any additional assistance and support are greatly appreciated. Please keep Andrew and his family, Evan (dad), Kim (mom) and Ari (sister) in your thoughts and prayers.

If you'd like to read the more detailed update, see photos, and leave comments on the Facebook page created for Andrew (Drew), please check out Drew's Warriors

#AndrewStrong at: https://www.facebook.com/drewswarriors/

~ Thanks Heather Ellicott (Evan’s sister)