Memorial for Lee Lopez

In January 2019, my brother Lee, who is only 32 years old, was diagnosed with Stage IV Burkitt Lymphoma. A few years ago, he had a pancreas transplant.  In order to keep his body from rejecting the pancreas, he was put on medication that ended up giving him a rare form of lymphoma known as PTLD (Post-transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder). He was paying top of the line insurance in case the day ever came where his pancreas started to go into rejection. Unfortunately, his insurance denied him receiving treatment once the pathology report showed he had cancer. This specific strain of PTLD is called Burkitt lymphoma which is a very rare type of cancer. After his diagnosis, he received 6 rounds of a type of chemotherapy called RCHOP. This is the most aggressive type of chemotherapy. Sadly, the cancer became resistant to the chemotherapy and continued to spread. Recently, he began receiving experimental chemotherapy but this has caused his organs to fail which means we must stop the chemotherapy altogether. On 8/30/2019, he was sent home on hospice because there is no more the doctors can do for him. On 09/10/19, Lee passed away peacefully in his home after suffering many days. This has been a very difficult time for my family and we appreciate any help that you can give us. Whether it is donating money, prayers, or good thoughts, we appreciate all of it. All of the money donated will go to his wife, Hilary, who will put the proceeds toward medical bills and expenses. Thank you for taking the time out to read this and for helping us on this difficult journey.