Help Denise Tenuto-Ward fight AML

I'm helping to raise funds for my younger sister who is undergoing treatment for AML.

Here's a little history.....

Denise has always been a hard working mother.   She is always there for her friends and family.....no matter what!!!  

In February 2020, Denise went to the hospital because she was having some trouble breathing.  Bloodwork revealed that her blood count was low and that she was anemic.  Further testing showed that her platelets were also low.  The doctor's thought she was fighting a virus and that things would improve.  A month later, she went back to the hospital again.  More testing was done including a bone marrow biopsy.  Nothing had changed and the bone marrow biopsy didn't reveal any problems.  In April, I took Denise to HUP because things weren't getting any better and she was transfusion dependent.  HUP ran more tests including another bone marrow biopsy and a skin biopsy.  Within a week the diagnosis of MDS (Myelodysplastic syndrome) was given.  This is a form of blood cancer.  The skin biopsy revealed that there were immature white cells in her skin.  Thus prompting the doctor to upgrade her diagnosis to AML (acute myeloid leukemia).  Within a week she was admitted to the hospital for her first round of chemo.  Since Covid 19 arrived to the east coast, this meant no one could visit her for the entire month she was hospitalized.  She came home and had to undergo chemo for the five months.  Thankfully, she was able to get chemo at home for most of those months.  By the end of October she was classified in remission.  The doctor told her that if the leukemia came back, that she would have to undergo a bone marrow/stem cell transplant.

Fast forward to December 2020.   Denise went for routine blood work where it was discovered that her platelets dropped 100 points from November to December.  More blood work was done and another bone marrow biopsy in the beginning of January 2021.  It was unfortunately confirmed that she was no longer in remission and that the leukemia was back.  Denise is currently in the hospital for another 30 days with no visitors undergoing heavy duty chemo to put her back into remission.  At this time, the doctor is looking for a perfect match to donate bone marrow/stem cells.  She is hoping to have Denise in remission and ready for the transplant by March.  That will require another month long hospitalization.

In March of 2020, Denise was no longer able to work.  It took six months for her to get approved for disability.  Her and her husband are currently both on fixed incomes.  Her insurance last year had huge deductibles leaving her with thousands of dollars in hospital bills.  After researching bone marrow/stem cell transplants, there are a lot of things Denise will need that is not covered by insurance.  This fundraiser is being created to cover her medical expenses from last year and future expenses not covered by insurance.

What she needs now is our help.  Friends, family, strangers. She NEEDS to focus everything she has on getting better for her family. This money is for a family’s survival. No amount is too small and no amount would go without absolute appreciation. In this case, what we can do is help ease the financial burden of every day life while this deserving wife, mother, sister fights for her life!