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Two strikes with cancer but Leandro’s not out!
In December 2004, the Taveras family, father Jorge, mother Katherine, son Leandro, and daughter Sofia, had their holiday season cut short when they learned that their 8 year old son had been diagnosed with leukemia (a form of blood cancer). Over the course of the next two and a half years, Leandro endured multiple rounds of chemotherapy, thousands of pills, and weeks of radiation before ultimately emerging on the other side, cancer free. With the support of their town, school and surrounding communities, the Taveras family was able to make it through this trying time.
A decade later, tragedy struck again. Katherine, declared perfectly healthy at her annual well visit just six months prior, was diagnosed with Stage III Pancreatic cancer. Meetings with doctors in the area yielded unhappy results, discussion centered around “palliative” and “hospice” care. Eight months of chemotherapy, over thirty rounds of radiation, and two complex surgeries later, Katherine is poised to beat the 3% five-year survival rate she was quoted prior to beginning treatment.
5 years is a memorable milestone for most cancer patients; it marks the official beginning of a “cancer free” life. Yet the Taveras’s family’s work is still not done.
Just three months into his first co-op/internship and halfway through his second year at Northeastern University in Boston, Leandro experienced symptoms that prompted blood tests confirming the worst, his leukemia has relapsed after more than a decade in remission.
From finding a newfound passion for baking (his banana bread is said to be legendary), to juggling in the quad, to exploring all that the city of Boston had to offer, it was difficult for Leandro to leave a job that he loved and a school that loved him. However, it’s going to take a lot more than cancer to keep Leandro out for long. He is eager for a smooth recovery and is incredibly hopeful that he’ll be able to resume college life and make it back in time for classes in the fall. This is the game plan:
Leandro is currently undergoing four to six weeks of intense chemotherapy and radiation in order to prepare his body for a bone marrow transplant, which offers him the best chance at long-term survival. Similar to blood, bone marrow has ‘types’, and the Taveras family (with a simple cheek swab) has been fortunate enough to learn that Sofia is a perfect match for Leandro, saving them from the complicated process of going through the global bone marrow registry to find an unrelated donor. Upon successful completion of chemo, the plan is for Leandro to undergo a bone marrow transplant in early June. He will need about three months to fully recover from the operation, which will include four weeks of isolation in the hospital.
Sofia is set to start her college journey at Gettysburg College in the fall (and yes, she’ll be playing on the basketball team!). While Katherine is still concentrating on her medical recovery, husband and father Jorge continues to support the family as best as he can.
My name is Ilene Anesini, and my son and Leandro have been best friends since first grade. My family and I have been with the Taveras’ since that difficult day in 2004 when Katherine first called to say that Leandro had been diagnosed with leukemia. We have witnessed first hand the financial and emotional struggle that cancer has had on a family that we love and care about. And now, as Leandro faces another battle for his life, the Taveras’ need our help more than ever.
Please join me in an effort to end Leandro’s leukemia once and for all. Every contribution you can make to help defray Leandro’s substantial medical costs is more than appreciated and will allow his family to better focus on him and each other. Thank you.
In December 2004, the Taveras family, father Jorge, mother Katherine, son Leandro, and daughter Sofia, had their holiday season cut short when they learned that their 8 year old son had been diagnosed with leukemia (a form of blood cancer). Over the course of the next two and a half years, Leandro endured multiple rounds of chemotherapy, thousands of pills, and weeks of radiation before ultimately emerging on the other side, cancer free. With the support of their town, school and surrounding communities, the Taveras family was able to make it through this trying time.
A decade later, tragedy struck again. Katherine, declared perfectly healthy at her annual well visit just six months prior, was diagnosed with Stage III Pancreatic cancer. Meetings with doctors in the area yielded unhappy results, discussion centered around “palliative” and “hospice” care. Eight months of chemotherapy, over thirty rounds of radiation, and two complex surgeries later, Katherine is poised to beat the 3% five-year survival rate she was quoted prior to beginning treatment.
5 years is a memorable milestone for most cancer patients; it marks the official beginning of a “cancer free” life. Yet the Taveras’s family’s work is still not done.
Just three months into his first co-op/internship and halfway through his second year at Northeastern University in Boston, Leandro experienced symptoms that prompted blood tests confirming the worst, his leukemia has relapsed after more than a decade in remission.
From finding a newfound passion for baking (his banana bread is said to be legendary), to juggling in the quad, to exploring all that the city of Boston had to offer, it was difficult for Leandro to leave a job that he loved and a school that loved him. However, it’s going to take a lot more than cancer to keep Leandro out for long. He is eager for a smooth recovery and is incredibly hopeful that he’ll be able to resume college life and make it back in time for classes in the fall. This is the game plan:
Leandro is currently undergoing four to six weeks of intense chemotherapy and radiation in order to prepare his body for a bone marrow transplant, which offers him the best chance at long-term survival. Similar to blood, bone marrow has ‘types’, and the Taveras family (with a simple cheek swab) has been fortunate enough to learn that Sofia is a perfect match for Leandro, saving them from the complicated process of going through the global bone marrow registry to find an unrelated donor. Upon successful completion of chemo, the plan is for Leandro to undergo a bone marrow transplant in early June. He will need about three months to fully recover from the operation, which will include four weeks of isolation in the hospital.
Sofia is set to start her college journey at Gettysburg College in the fall (and yes, she’ll be playing on the basketball team!). While Katherine is still concentrating on her medical recovery, husband and father Jorge continues to support the family as best as he can.
My name is Ilene Anesini, and my son and Leandro have been best friends since first grade. My family and I have been with the Taveras’ since that difficult day in 2004 when Katherine first called to say that Leandro had been diagnosed with leukemia. We have witnessed first hand the financial and emotional struggle that cancer has had on a family that we love and care about. And now, as Leandro faces another battle for his life, the Taveras’ need our help more than ever.
Please join me in an effort to end Leandro’s leukemia once and for all. Every contribution you can make to help defray Leandro’s substantial medical costs is more than appreciated and will allow his family to better focus on him and each other. Thank you.
Organizer and beneficiary
Leandro Taveras
Beneficiary