Help Kyle Russell Fight Leukemia

Hello, my name is Stephanie, and I am Kyle’s fiancée. We have known each other for 15 years and have been together for 10 years. I am currently a 4th-year nursing student with UNB/Humber College and work as a clinical extern at a hospital in Vaughan, while Kyle works for a small HVAC (heating and air conditioning) company based out of Burlington.

As many people know, Kyle came out of remission after almost 15 years and was diagnosed again with B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (A.L.L). Back in 2008, when he was 18, he underwent the DFCI treatment protocol at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto, which entailed 2 ½ years of chemotherapy, radiation, lumbar punctures, and bone marrow biopsies. He had achieved remission and had stayed in remission for 14 years and 10 months until he was diagnosed with the same disease again on September 19, 2023. The goal for Kyle is to get him into complete remission again; once this is achieved, he is to receive a stem cell transplant to help rewire his body and prevent another relapse in the future.

Many years have passed since Kyle was first treated for A.L.L, and a lot of new treatments are available; however, his disease is considered refractory (treatment-resistant) as it has come back, and treating it this time around has been more difficult.

The first treatment started at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre on September 27, 2023, with a drug called Blinatumomab. This immunotherapy protocol entailed a 28-day treatment cycle with a continuous infusion of Blinatumomab. The doctors were hopeful that a couple of cycles would put Kyle back into remission. During this treatment, he experienced few adverse reactions but developed two blood clots in his left leg and began to experience severe pain in his left shoulder (though we still don’t know the cause). Unfortunately, by the end of the 28-day treatment cycle, it was determined that Kyle had no response to the treatment, so the doctors changed treatment plans.

The second treatment started on October 28, 2023, with the chemotherapy protocol FLAG-IDA, which entailed five treatment days consisting of three different chemotherapies. As this regimen takes a bigger toll on the body, Kyle experienced nausea, vomiting, food aversions, weight loss, and also developed a C. diff (superbug) infection. Unfortunately, even after this protocol, Kyle had still not achieved complete remission.

The third treatment started on January 27, 2024, with a relatively new immunotherapy called CAR T-cell therapy. This regimen involves Kyle’s own T-cells (a type of white blood cell) being harvested and genetically modified to seek out and kill any remaining leukemic cells. The cells were infused over 30 minutes, and Kyle will be in recovery for the next three months while the cells destroy the cancer. Once he has recovered, he will be admitted again for a stem cell transplant, which will take up to a year to fully recover from.

We are reaching out to our community for support. The financial burden of medications, travel, medical supplies, other unforeseen medical expenses, and the cost of living while we are both off work weigh heavily on us. Even with private insurance, we have been paying hundreds of dollars for Kyle’s outpatient medication and other tests and procedures that aren’t covered by OHIP or insurance. We have tried our best to push through, but it’s not enough. Kyle’s EI will be running out soon, and then we will be relying on his CPP. Being Kyle’s primary caregiver and also being in school, I am unable to work. Please help us get through these challenging times by donating to our GoFundMe campaign. Your generosity will alleviate the heavy financial strain we are experiencing, and it will allow Kyle to focus on healing while I focus on getting myself through school and looking after Kyle. We know times are tough right now, and not everyone is able to give. If you are unable to donate, please share this with your community, as spreading the word will help our message reach those who can. If you are able to donate, please know that your contribution, no matter the size, will make a significant difference in our lives while we navigate these challenges.

Thank you for standing with us, supporting us, and being a beacon of hope during these challenging times. If you would like to see updates on Kyle’s treatment and progress, please feel free to follow get.well.russell on Instagram.

With love and gratitude,

Stephanie and Kyle