Help Christian's Stem cell Transplant Journey

Hello, my name is Christian Bell! I'm a 25 year old cancer survivor that has unfortunately relapsed, and will need a stem cell transplant this time around. The details of treatment leading up to the procedure are still rapidly changing each day with new information.

This is where things get really really hard for me. I am unable to work during this journey with cancer, and the unforeseen expenses have made it clear I can not afford this journey alone. I've taken great pride in my life to have the knuckle down and work hard mentality that has made the last 7 years possible. 

So here I am asking anyone and everyone that can for a little help. Sharing my story like this can be hard, emotional and opens up a lot of vulnerability, but I encourage everyone to share this with friends and family. If you are able to donate all proceeds are going directly to medications, parking, food, and when the time comes a temporary home in Ottawa for my stem cell transplant.

 

 

 

 

A little bit about me and my journey with cancer thus far.

In 2011 at the age of 15 I was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia - Philadelphia chromosome positive. (ALL-PH+) This began a 3 year journey that would and continues to have profound impacts on my life. I often joke now with the nurses on the adult ward while I sit and receive my chemo "I used to have the nickname on the peds floor, sickest kid in 30 years!" I'll boast; and while I like to joke unfortunately there is some truth to it. My 3 years of chemo was not the norm for pediatric (ALL) patients, the PH+ aspect made my cancer more complicated and thereby needed more, and stronger levels of chemotherapy. However prior to my diagnosis there were wonderful advancements in medicine with a drug called Imatinib or Gleevec, this drug as further advanced under the name dasatinib / Gleevec. This drug has raised the odds for ALL-PH+ patients from the low 30%'s to the high 70%'s, but it is chemotherapy and very very toxic/hard on the body. I spent 3 years taking this medication daily and it saved my life, but came with a steep cost at the time.

 

Fast forward to the end of my treatment and the beginning of recovery. I began a new chapter of my life where I connected with the Camp Oochigeas community of cancer survivors and volunteers. I went to overnight summer camp for the first time in my life the summer of 2014 after completing my last round of chemo. It was an experience that impacted me in a profoundly positive and long lasting way. Here I was still looking a little rough and like a kid with cancer, and I stepped out onto the field at ooch immediately greeted by campers and volunteers. The best part all of the campers share something in common that connects them more than anyone can really imagine. Everyone has/had cancer too, not all the same type or at the same time but every camper has been through the turmoil that is childhood cancer. I attended any and every event available to me at ooch during my time that I was a camper 2014-2015 and made connections and friendships that have greatly impacted my life.

Much of my recovery (mental, physical, emotional, spiritual) was aided by ooch and the friends I made there. I was given a new sense of drive and purpose while at camp that made me want to get better and do more! So I did at the beginning of 2014 if you asked me to walk 1km I wouldn't be able to do it without many many break. The spring of 2015 I ran my first 10k race to help raise money for camp ooch, and I'll happily say I ran that race in 01:14:12.5. Now any runners reading this know that's not much more then a light jog pace but I was proud and on top of the world!

 

I continued to build my life back to a sense of "normal" and attended Fleming College for their Paramedic program. My hope was to become a Paramedic and work in healthcare as it had been such a profound part of my life. I learned many great things while in school and once again made some amazing friends as well. Unfortunately this is where our story gets closer to the present, in the fall of 2018 I collapsed at school. My left knee was unable to support my weight and I could not stand. I was taken to hospital for x-ray. After some tests it was discovered that I had A vascular necrosis(AVN) in my left knee, basically all the good living stuff in my knee was now dead or dying. (Not super fun stuff) So with this news I knew that my career as a paramedic was over as quick as it started, as the job would great exacerbate my knees.

 

This is where we begin our current journey, in fall of 2018 we discovered (AVN) in my left knee. At this time I have left school and have begun working in the skilled trades. Dumb idea I know, but my hope was to get into the management side of things quick and I really like working with my hands. The summer of 2019 I began having pains in my right knee as well and it was discovered, yes you guessed it! it too was now dead. No worries though as my body was used to the ache in my knees at this point, I was still active and working just a bit sorer then most. At this time there were no concerns of my cancer returning it was suspected that the chemo from back in 2014 would have caused the (AVN). I continued to life as "normal" going into 2020 which as we all know brought its own set of challenges.

Then in august of 2021 I collapsed again, this time my hip had given out. A small side bar, the first 5 years out of treatment are terrifying every cold or bruise sends you into a spiral of what if ive relapsed. Well after nearly 7 years for me I was no longer spiraling over these little things. Not this time. This time I worried, I went to the hospital had an x-ray and was told it was most likely just (lol JUST) AVN beginning in my hips. Okay no worries was already going to need double knee surgery may as well get a new hip too (they're easier anyways). Then about 1 week later I collapsed again and once again found my self in the emergency room, after a few hours the Dr. came to me and told me my white blood cell count was in the 40s and my heart dropped. I knew at that second my cancer was back, within the hour I was in an ambulance on my way to Kingston, because treatment was to begin that weekend. I received my third ever bone marrow biopsy. and the results were that I was having 60 cancerous blasts into my blood each day and that 100% of my bone marrow was cancerous this time. However my body is responding very well and the blasts in my blood have already been cleared up. My body has been through too much chemotherapy already that a straight chemotherapy treatment option is not available to me. I will be needing a stem cell transplant which is a procedure that would have me living in Ottawa for sometime as well the Gleevec I mentioned earlier is not covered under OHIP and is about $100 a day. At this time myself and the hospital staff are working hard to get a covered supply of Gleevec so that I can have the best fighting chance. I have tried very hard not to ask for money during my fight with cancer as I always thought I could just knuckle down and work hard but I'm unable to now.

So here I am teary eyed asking for all of your help.