Help Carl Keep His Fighting Spirit!

Hi, my name is Margaret Fritz. My sister, Coni, and I, created this fundraiser to help our brother, Carl Fritz, and his wife Myra Santiago.

Late August 2021, our brother, Carl, started to have muscle strain and extreme fatigue. In October, he began to have difficulty walking. He sought medical treatment, and on October 15th, he was sadly diagnosed with T-Cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma. His CT scan revealed a mass on his chest and a tumor on his spine.

 

He was referred to Loyola Medical Center - Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center in Maywood, Illinois, where he started an intensive chemotherapy regimen to battle this aggressive and rare cancer.

 

Carl has been employed in the Office of the General Counsel with the Illinois Department of Human Services for 22 years. Thankfully, his employer is supportive and has approved him for a leave of absence during his chemotherapy treatment period. But unfortunately, his disability pay is only 50% of his base pay. Additionally, he has not been able to work since October 15th. And he will not be able to work during chemo treatment due to the chemo's side effects, including fatigue, nausea, muscle exhaustion, and neuropathy, resulting in a compromised immune system.

 

He has tried to remain as strong and positive as possible, both mentally and physically, but he has found it challenging due to the intensive chemotherapy regimen, which he will continue to undergo for the next 8 to 9 months.

 

Carl and his wife, Myra, have three young children.

Kyle is 10.

Sebastian is 6.

And Hunter is 4.

The family has been struggling with the resulting stresses that this Cancer has caused, but they remain positive and hopeful that there will be a successful treatment outcome.

 

We hope that this GoFundMe page will help relieve some of the financial stress that Carl and his family have been experiencing during this difficult time. All funds donated will be given directly to Carl and Myra to help with the family’s medical and living expenses. The family greatly appreciates any financial help you’re able to offer.

 

Thank you, everyone, for your support and kindness during this time!