Help support the Fernandez family in time of need
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- My name is Brittany Fernandez Conrad. Towards the end of December 2024, my husband, Felipe Fernandez Lopez, started getting sick. He was having stomach pains in his abdomen and started to grow a lymphoid on the right side of his neck. I took him to many doctor's appointments, but no one could tell us what was wrong. They sent us home with antibiotics, but nothing worked.
- In the middle of January 2025, he started to get worse. I took him to the hospital where they did a full-body CT with contrast and found out he had lymphoma. The very next day, we went to see an oncologist here in Hutchinson Hospital. On the 29th of January, they sent him to Wichita via St. Francis, and there they did a biopsy on the right side of his neck. They sent it to Mayo Clinic, where we waited for almost a month for any results. On February 3rd, he did a full-body PET scan in Wichita. Shortly after that, we were sent back to Wichita to start emergency chemotherapy as his throat started to close up. That's when we finally found out he had High Grade Cell B lymphoma (double hit). He did three total treatments of inpatient chemotherapy for five days straight.
- After the third treatment, he got sick with a respiratory infection. This was leaving the hospital; he was sick, so they postponed chemo. A few days later, he was growing another lump on the right side again, so he went back and had a second biopsy. Just a few days after the chemo was postponed, it grew back. We were shocked because the recent PET scan done said he was responding well to chemo and shrinking the lymph nodes. But the cancer has come back and is very aggressive. They are no longer able to do chemotherapy. Now there is only one last thing they can try and do, and that is a CAR T transplant. The only place we would be able to go is Maryland to do that. If he doesn't try this or they don't get him there, he will only have months to live.
- He isn't able to work, and I am working and taking him to appointments. We have six children. He is a great husband and father. We are awaiting the phone call to see if we can get him to Maryland. But it's financially been hard because we have no insurance, and he isn't able to work. Anything would help at this time. Thank you.
Organizer
Brittany Fernandez
Organizer
Hutchinson, KS