Help our friend Ben Portis

As many of you know, our good friend and colleague Ben was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia last October. Ben and his family have a great team at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, and he has responded well to his initial treatment. In fact, his most recent biopsy determined that he is in remission.

 

However, chemotherapy treatment alone will not eliminate the leukemia cells, and Ben is a candidate to receive a bone marrow transplant in the next few months. Recovery from the transplant will be a three to six-month process, at minimum.

 

Ben has taken a temporary medical leave of absence from his job at Entergy to properly fight this disease until he can return to work. His partner, Heather, continues to work in the home to provide daily support for Ben and the family.

 

Ben and Heather are extremely thankful for the many acts and gifts of kindness to this point, but his close friends and family have identified some other basic needs that will need to be met in the coming weeks and months.

 

To help Ben, Heather, Holt, Max, Penelope, and Calla through this difficult time, his friends and colleagues are starting this Go Fund Me account to provide supplemental assistance for their family. Your support will be used exclusively to help defray costs of medical bills and treatments, transportation costs to and from Baltimore, groceries and meals, and meet some childcare and family needs.

 

Any additional proceeds following his recovery will be donated to the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center in Baltimore and other leukemia support organizations.

As anyone who has ever spent time around him knows, Ben is one of the kindest, most generous human beings you will ever find. He was one of my first friends when I moved to DC and I count myself lucky for that.

 

Thank you for considering and please do not hesitate to reach out to Ben and his family at any time. They are grateful for continued well wishes and outreach from the people in their lives.