Lexa's Transplant Recovery

In June of 2023 Lexa was diagnosed with AML (acute myeloid leukemia) which is an aggressive form of blood cancer with sudden onset. She was emergently admitted to the blood cancer unit at The Markey Cancer Center and began her intensive induction chemo treatment within days. She remained inpatient for 6 weeks initially and then transitioned to outpatient care. She returned to the blood cancer unit for 5 consecutive days monthly to receive inpatient high dose consolidation chemo through October. As of early December she was determined to be in complete molecular remission and was even able to return to her job at Whole Foods Market for 3 weeks.

On January 8th, routine bloodwork showed evidence of a relapse and she was immediately admitted back into the blood cancer unit. It was discovered that her relapse included a genetic mutation that was not present before, called FLT3, which causes an even more highly aggressive onset and presentation of AML which unfortunately will not respond to chemo with any longevity. She will now need a bone marrow/stem cell transplant which she and her team of doctors are currently preparing her for.

She is out of the hospital and resting at home with her partner Shane and pup, Spock, while she continues outpatient treatment. Within a month or two, once her body is ready, she will undergo her transplant via a matched donor through the Be The Match program.

For the first 100 days post transplant, she will be critically immunosuppressed and must reside in a clean and sterile environment with 24/7 care. We are looking to fund a suite for her at the extended stay hotel near her home. Her apartment building is older and has some mold issues in the bathroom due to improper ventilation and her environment needs to be pet free for the duration of those 100 days. We are also recruiting a rotation of caretakers who will be much better equipped to provide streamlined care in a hotel suite rather than her apartment, and allow Shane some time and space to decompress as he must continue to work full-time. The Home2 Suites near her home has a two room suite with a couch and small kitchen which would perfectly suit her needs as she recovers. We have been in contact with the sales rep, but even with a hopeful discount, the total cost still will be upwards of 100 dollars a night. Some of the beginning of the 100 days will be in the hospital, however, the majority of them will be in outpatient care requiring a sterile environment.

Though her insurance along with donated PTO from coworkers at Whole Foods have kept her in good shape financially, at this juncture she could really use our help to stay in a clean and healthy environment so the transplant may graft properly and she can recover free of infection and illness, and hopefully in FULL remission for a long time to come!

If you know Lexa, you know how sweet, smart, witty and unbearably charming she is; How much she does for everyone in her orbit and how much she cares and loves whoever is lucky enough to be in her world. If you don’t know her, please know that she is truly one of the most remarkable women I have ever met and I would do anything to keep her healthy and happy. If you can help with a donation, it would be so greatly appreciated! If you are not able to contribute monetarily but able to share on your social platforms, your time would be very valuable to our mission.

If you would feel more comfortable donating to her directly, her Venmo is @AAlexandra-Hrabak and the last 4 digits of her phone number are 9660

Best regards,

Laura Casey