LIFTING UP LEVI – A FOUR YEAR OLD’S FIGHT WITH FANCONI ANEMIA
BACKSTORY
Hi Friends and Family, I’m starting this GoFundMe to help my dear friend of almost 20 years, Katherine DiCamillo. Katherine and her husband Tony live in the Denver area with their four adorable boys ages 8, 7, 4 and 3. Katherine is an outstandingly warm-hearted friend who has impacted the way I mother my young boys greatly. It’s because of her I’ve learned to be more patient and “in the moment” with my little guys. Last year her third son Levi was diagnosed with an extremely rare disease called Fanconi Anemia (FA). Only about 20 individuals worldwide are born per year with FA, and Levi’s specific type is even more rare—less than 0.5% of individuals with FA have his exact type. FA is an inherited blood disorder that leads to bone marrow failure. This means children with FA have a very high chance of developing serious health problems, most notably soft-tumor cancers and leukemia.
WHAT’S NEXT?
After months of tests and doctor visits the family was put in contact with one of the nation’s top FA doctors in Minnesota. This doc and a team of specialists have decided it’s imperative Levi receives a bone marrow transplant and chemotherapy this spring/summer. Levi does not currently have any cancers, but this preemptive step is considered crucial for his best possible outcome. The whole family will need to temporarily move to MN for five to six months, as this risky procedure will take place under careful watch at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital. Levi will be hospitalized for around 6 weeks, followed by a couple months of frequent check-ups. As you can imagine, this is the start of a tremendous endeavor for the DiCamillo family. One critical part of this journey includes the large expenses that their insurance won’t fully cover for travel, rent, and medical costs.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
As someone who is in chemo currently, my heart is pained knowing some of what Levi will undergo. Let’s lift this family up by raising as much money we can--100% of proceeds go directly to the family. A little goes a long way—if everyone in my friend list skipped two Starbuck’s trips or that Chipotle burrito and gave $10, we’d have thousands of dollars raised.
Thank you in advance for donating and sharing!
Get the word out and share this story on your Facebook timeline
For updates visit Katherine’s blog: https://posthope.org/lifting-up-levi
BACKSTORY
Hi Friends and Family, I’m starting this GoFundMe to help my dear friend of almost 20 years, Katherine DiCamillo. Katherine and her husband Tony live in the Denver area with their four adorable boys ages 8, 7, 4 and 3. Katherine is an outstandingly warm-hearted friend who has impacted the way I mother my young boys greatly. It’s because of her I’ve learned to be more patient and “in the moment” with my little guys. Last year her third son Levi was diagnosed with an extremely rare disease called Fanconi Anemia (FA). Only about 20 individuals worldwide are born per year with FA, and Levi’s specific type is even more rare—less than 0.5% of individuals with FA have his exact type. FA is an inherited blood disorder that leads to bone marrow failure. This means children with FA have a very high chance of developing serious health problems, most notably soft-tumor cancers and leukemia.
WHAT’S NEXT?
After months of tests and doctor visits the family was put in contact with one of the nation’s top FA doctors in Minnesota. This doc and a team of specialists have decided it’s imperative Levi receives a bone marrow transplant and chemotherapy this spring/summer. Levi does not currently have any cancers, but this preemptive step is considered crucial for his best possible outcome. The whole family will need to temporarily move to MN for five to six months, as this risky procedure will take place under careful watch at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital. Levi will be hospitalized for around 6 weeks, followed by a couple months of frequent check-ups. As you can imagine, this is the start of a tremendous endeavor for the DiCamillo family. One critical part of this journey includes the large expenses that their insurance won’t fully cover for travel, rent, and medical costs.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
As someone who is in chemo currently, my heart is pained knowing some of what Levi will undergo. Let’s lift this family up by raising as much money we can--100% of proceeds go directly to the family. A little goes a long way—if everyone in my friend list skipped two Starbuck’s trips or that Chipotle burrito and gave $10, we’d have thousands of dollars raised.
Thank you in advance for donating and sharing!
Get the word out and share this story on your Facebook timeline
For updates visit Katherine’s blog: https://posthope.org/lifting-up-levi