Help Jon Fight Leukemia

Back in November Jonny was not feeling well and his family thought he had the flu.  Heather and Dave brought him to the ER at St. Anne’s Hospital and based on the results of the preliminary tests, Jon was immediately sent to the emergency room at Hasbro Children’s Hospital where he was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML).  To complicate the situation, he has a flt3 marker which makes it a more aggressive and much more difficult leukemia to treat.  He is currently undergoing an aggressive chemo therapy regiment and will need a bone marrow transplant this spring.  This course of action will give Jon the best chance at a cancer free life.  However it is not an easy road and there will be many difficult challenges for their family to face and overcome over the next year, both emotionally and financially.
 
Jonny will have completed three rounds of chemotherapy by the end of February.  His next step will be the bone marrow transplant at Boston’s Children’s Hospital.  This will involve six to eight weeks of a hospital stay in Boston as Jon’s immune system is destroyed and the new bone marrow is allowed to grow and produce new cancer free blood.  The pain and suffering that Jon will endure is a necessary risk, it’s his best chance to stay cancer free.  For the Mastrianos this means weeks of separation and costs that will add up quickly. 

 Even with the help of health insurance the medical bills, along with the cost of care associated with Jon’s treatment, continue to build.  In order to care for Jon during his fight, Heather has had to leave her full-time job, and the family is dealing with the new reality of the lost wages.  The money raised will be used for medical expenses and the costs incurred during Jon’s transplant.  Any monies left over will be put into a Health Savings Account in Jon’s name for future care. 

 Jon is autistic and the transition from active, energetic teenager to one that is almost bedridden has been very difficult on him and his family.  However, through it all, his playful, joking and fighting spirit shines through during the times that he feels well.  The outpouring of support from the community has been a huge source of comfort for both Jon and his family.  Please continue to send your prayers

and/or even the smallest donation to help support this family through this extremely tough time in the year ahead.