Help Elena Beat Leukemia
Donation protected
If you're reading this, you know our sister Elena. And if you know Elena, you know there's noone else in the world like her.
Back in April of 2016, Elena was feeling awful - she had no energy, she had mysterious bruises that wouldn't heal, she wasn't much interested in eating. The first doctors she saw didn't know what the problem was, but when her symptoms got worse, she got to an emergency room, and the doctors looking at her blood tests realized she had leukemia. She was in bad shape -- they later told her they had no idea how she was still concsious with her blood counts so low -- and they instantly medivac'ed her to a major hospital in Honolulu.
Seven months and two rounds of chemo later, she's feeling better! But her diagnosis is the same - Acute Myeloid Lukemia (AML).
The most effective treatment for AML is a bone marrow transplant. There is no place on Hawaii that does them. So Elena will be coming to Philadelphia be closer to family, and to work with some of the best doctors in the country for this difficult and risky procedure.
The key to the success of the transplant is the care that happens after the procedure. She'll have a few weeks in the hospital to make sure that the transplant is taking, but then she will be released to recuperate on an outpatient basis. For at least 100 days after she gets out of the hospital, she will need constant care and monitoring to make sure she doesn't develop an infection or that her body doesn't reject the transplant.
Elena's insurance will cover only the medical costs of her transplant. She needs our help with all of the things it won't cover -- housing, food, warm clothes, copays on medications, travel for her partner Angela, transportation to and from appointments, caregivers to cover any gaps in her coverage, phone bills, etc. etc. etc. We expect that she will need to come to Philadelphia in early January, so our need for funds to get her set up is fairly urgent.
Elena will be in Philadelphia for close to six months, if all goes well, though it could be longer if there are complications or if it takes a long time to find a marrow donor. We've set a target of $40,000 to cover the costs for a longer period, though we also know there will be costs we haven't even thought of!
Elena would rather not be doing this, but we've set up this GoFundMe because but we know how much people love her, and we know how much those of us who love her want to help. She has given us a lot -- and she's certainly made us laugh! (You know what I mean -- Spit-take, choke-on-your-milk, gasping-for-air laughing.) Noone is as loyal, or as loving, or as fun.
Thank you for giving -- it will make it possible for Elena to get the best care, and to have the best chance of beating this disease.
We will be using this to update you on the course of her treatment, but if you have any questions or want to reach out, don't hesitate to contact us at [email redacted] .
--Mike
Back in April of 2016, Elena was feeling awful - she had no energy, she had mysterious bruises that wouldn't heal, she wasn't much interested in eating. The first doctors she saw didn't know what the problem was, but when her symptoms got worse, she got to an emergency room, and the doctors looking at her blood tests realized she had leukemia. She was in bad shape -- they later told her they had no idea how she was still concsious with her blood counts so low -- and they instantly medivac'ed her to a major hospital in Honolulu.
Seven months and two rounds of chemo later, she's feeling better! But her diagnosis is the same - Acute Myeloid Lukemia (AML).
The most effective treatment for AML is a bone marrow transplant. There is no place on Hawaii that does them. So Elena will be coming to Philadelphia be closer to family, and to work with some of the best doctors in the country for this difficult and risky procedure.
The key to the success of the transplant is the care that happens after the procedure. She'll have a few weeks in the hospital to make sure that the transplant is taking, but then she will be released to recuperate on an outpatient basis. For at least 100 days after she gets out of the hospital, she will need constant care and monitoring to make sure she doesn't develop an infection or that her body doesn't reject the transplant.
Elena's insurance will cover only the medical costs of her transplant. She needs our help with all of the things it won't cover -- housing, food, warm clothes, copays on medications, travel for her partner Angela, transportation to and from appointments, caregivers to cover any gaps in her coverage, phone bills, etc. etc. etc. We expect that she will need to come to Philadelphia in early January, so our need for funds to get her set up is fairly urgent.
Elena will be in Philadelphia for close to six months, if all goes well, though it could be longer if there are complications or if it takes a long time to find a marrow donor. We've set a target of $40,000 to cover the costs for a longer period, though we also know there will be costs we haven't even thought of!
Elena would rather not be doing this, but we've set up this GoFundMe because but we know how much people love her, and we know how much those of us who love her want to help. She has given us a lot -- and she's certainly made us laugh! (You know what I mean -- Spit-take, choke-on-your-milk, gasping-for-air laughing.) Noone is as loyal, or as loving, or as fun.
Thank you for giving -- it will make it possible for Elena to get the best care, and to have the best chance of beating this disease.
We will be using this to update you on the course of her treatment, but if you have any questions or want to reach out, don't hesitate to contact us at [email redacted] .
--Mike
Organizer
Mike Barsanti
Organizer
Philadelphia, PA