
Kendra Dierkes' Cancer Battle
Donation protected
My name is Bri and I am organizing a GoFundMe for one of my best friends, Kendra Dierkes, as she battle Leukemia. Kendra is a young mom with two young girls, an RN for Centacare in Home care and Float Pool at SCH, and is married to a small business owner (Dana Dierkes, Granite City Concrete Raising).
Recent summer updates located on Kendra's Caring Bridge
UPDATE AS OF 6/18/24 --
Target date for a benefit at Jack and Jims (Duelm, MN) set for Sept. 22nd - more to come!
Kendra is waiting on genetic testing to come back from the U of M. Kendra's admission date for a Bone Marrow transplant is planned for July 22nd. Kendra will undergo another round of targeted chemo injections in June. Kendra is continuing to need blood and platelet infusions. Kendra will get targeted injections again first week of July, then will undergo week long testing at the U of M to get ready for admission. During this time Kendra will have to move down to the cities and cost of living is bonkers ($2,000 a month in rent alone). Kendra will also not be able to see her girls during this time, outside of short visits with precautions.
Early February (2024), Kendra started experiencing debilitating fatigue and recurrent cold and flu like symptoms and went in to get a blood panel, where-in she was immediately sent to the ER due to extremely low white blood cell count and low hemoglobin. IV fluids and antibiotics were given, she was sent home, and went back to work while panels and biopsies were scheduled through the following week, along with transfusions to give her energy (worked dismally). By the end of that week, Kendra received the call no one ever wants - she was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. AML is extremely rare in adults, and requires fast detection (which we suspect had been the case), aggressive treatment, and a scary realization it is likely to come back if found to have the genetic component associated with this type of cancer. While a treatment plan was formed, Kendra started having fevers that following day and needed to be admitted over Easter weekend, due to a condition called pancytopenia, which is cause by cancer or into immune disorders. Kendra was released on Easter and got to spend 2 days at home with her girls, then went in to start treatment inpatient at St. Cloud Hospital.
Kendra's treatment will include a month-long stay and a painfully long time away from visitors, perhaps even her girls, once the chemo eliminates her cancer and all functioning white blood cells. Kendra will have to continue to receive bone marrow biopsies following an unknown amount of chemo rounds until she is proven to stay in remission.
To add to the uncertainty, Kendra is waiting to hear results from a full genetic panel done by the U of M to determine if she is going to need a bone marrow transplant in the cities. This will require her to move down to the cities for the procedure and recovery period, followed with a long recovery requiring caregiver services.
Kendra will be unable to work at her job (homecare nursing and float pool for CentraCare) for at least 12 weeks allotted through FMLA for one round of chemo, recovery in the hospital, and monthly 5 day stays thereafter, assuming a first round of Chemo works to clear out all her cancer cells. Kendra's husband owns his own business and is often having to work out of town or will need to choose to forgo his income to care for Kendra. With even the best health outcome Kendra and her friends and family are praying for, their family will have a hard challenging road to cover finances during this battle and through recovery.
If Kendra is requiring more than one round of chemo, and/or a bone marrow transplant, we are unsure if she is able to return to work and since she carries benefits for the family, this is a very scary period to navigate. Although Kendra works full-time hours, her short-term disability is based on and paid out on a part-time basis. The family's biggest expenses are daycare, mortgage and groceries, to which they could use help with during this time.
While shocked and uncertain of what the future holds, Kendra is meeting this treatment with spunk and positivity. Prayers and love are so helpful and welcomed, and any financial support given is going to help this family through this hard and unimaginable time.
Organizer

bri torborg
Organizer
Saint Cloud, MN