Help Michael Recover From Leukemia & Bone Marrow Transplant

On March 30, 2024, our dad, Michael, took our dog to the dog park, where he was unexpectedly ran into by a very big dog causing significant damage to his knee. Soon after the collision, both of his feet began swelling abnormally, which resulted in him being sent for bloodwork, revealing that his white blood cell count was dangerously low. He was quickly referred to a hematologist, and after a bone marrow biopsy, he was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML).

Since April, our dad has undergone six rounds of chemotherapy and eight rounds of radiation, which helped keep the cancer under control. However, the only way to achieve a true cure was through a bone marrow transplant.

On November 13th, he received his bone marrow transplant from an anonymous donor from Europe. Remarkably, the transplant was a 100% match, right down to his blood type, through the international registry. We are deeply grateful to this kind individual for giving our dad a second chance at life.

Right now, we're in a difficult phase. Michael has been at City of Hope hospital since November 4th, and while he’s receiving the care he needs, he is experiencing the challenging aftereffects of the transplant—fever, extreme weakness, lack of appetite, soreness, hair loss, and more. These side effects are expected, but they’re incredibly hard to witness.

As you can imagine, this sudden health crisis has placed a heavy burden on our family, and we’re reaching out for your support. Michael's health insurance will expire on December 4th when his family leave ends, and since we’ve already paid a large deductible for the year, we need to continue with his current health plan until he qualifies for Medicare. The only option is to enroll in COBRA, which comes with a monthly cost of over $2,000. Since he is on Disability and only receiving 65% of his salary, managing the financial burden will be challenging.

Since our family lives about 40 miles from the hospital, and the constant back-and-forth is making it difficult for my mom to maintain her work schedule, as she is self-employed. In addition to the insurance costs and premiums Michael will need at home care from nurses, as well as a series of professional cleaning services to make sure our home is up to protocol for his return home. There may be other future expenses that we are not aware at this time too.

If you're able to contribute in any way, whether financially or through your thoughts and prayers, we would be so grateful. Thank you for being a part of our journey, and for helping us support our dad through this difficult time.

With love and gratitude,

Gigi, Troy, and Linda Joy Loizzo