John McCarthy Cancer Fund
Donation protected
November 2016... I was traveling from Atlanta to L.A. to Seattle in my rig and I knew I was in trouble in California. I couldn't walk from one end of the truck to the other without gasping for air and needing to stop. My co-driver Theresa wanted to get me to the hospital, but I felt that I needed to get home to Florida. I thought that I must be having heart problems (even though I don't smoke or drink). In the back of my mind I thought I would be out a month or so, and then back driving.
I made it to my local hospital, and within hours was told that I would need to transfer to Orlando because that was the nearest facility for treating leukemia. I was diagnosed with an agressive form of leukemia - ALM-FLT3. This form affects about 7,000 people per year.
The treatment for this disease is rounds of chemotherapy followed by a bone marrow transplant.
The first 2 months of my treatment were in Florida. My family, all from out-of-state, were a continuous stream of support. However, we knew that staying in Florida would not be a long-term option. The decision was made to transfer my treatment to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston so that my outpatient care could be maintained while living with my brothers.
At the end of April, the bone marrow transplant was conducted and now I am working to regain my stamina, battle against the threat of infections and pray that the transplant was a sucess.
Why am I asking for help?
Although I have been allowed to continue the great insurance from my former employer, Quest Global, the COBRA payments are expensive ($587 per month) and I have not worked in 6 months. I will recieve my first disability check in a few weeks. In January 2018, the insurance deductibles will re-start and I will very quickly exceed the $9,500 max out of pocket, I am trying to raise this amount to lessen the burden on my family.
In addition, I would really like to bring my 19-year old son up to Boston to visit me. We have not seen each other in 6 months and I know that he is very worried about me.
The cost of the transplant and treatments have exceeded over $1,000,000 and I will be responsible for 20%, but for now I'm just trying to take it one step at a time... raise the money for next max-out of pocket deductible that will be coming up in just 6 months.
I am truly grateful for the support of my family - my brothers for taking me in, my sisters for their love and support and my brother and sister-in-laws for their continued care.
Thank you for reading my story. If a donation is not possible at this time, please pray for a positive outcome for all those who have cancer.
I made it to my local hospital, and within hours was told that I would need to transfer to Orlando because that was the nearest facility for treating leukemia. I was diagnosed with an agressive form of leukemia - ALM-FLT3. This form affects about 7,000 people per year.
The treatment for this disease is rounds of chemotherapy followed by a bone marrow transplant.
The first 2 months of my treatment were in Florida. My family, all from out-of-state, were a continuous stream of support. However, we knew that staying in Florida would not be a long-term option. The decision was made to transfer my treatment to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston so that my outpatient care could be maintained while living with my brothers.
At the end of April, the bone marrow transplant was conducted and now I am working to regain my stamina, battle against the threat of infections and pray that the transplant was a sucess.
Why am I asking for help?
Although I have been allowed to continue the great insurance from my former employer, Quest Global, the COBRA payments are expensive ($587 per month) and I have not worked in 6 months. I will recieve my first disability check in a few weeks. In January 2018, the insurance deductibles will re-start and I will very quickly exceed the $9,500 max out of pocket, I am trying to raise this amount to lessen the burden on my family.
In addition, I would really like to bring my 19-year old son up to Boston to visit me. We have not seen each other in 6 months and I know that he is very worried about me.
The cost of the transplant and treatments have exceeded over $1,000,000 and I will be responsible for 20%, but for now I'm just trying to take it one step at a time... raise the money for next max-out of pocket deductible that will be coming up in just 6 months.
I am truly grateful for the support of my family - my brothers for taking me in, my sisters for their love and support and my brother and sister-in-laws for their continued care.
Thank you for reading my story. If a donation is not possible at this time, please pray for a positive outcome for all those who have cancer.
Organizer
John Mccarthy
Organizer
Hanson, MA
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