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Dear Family & Friends of Mike Rivero:
As some of you may already know, shortly after my husband turned 30, he was diagnosed with Stage 3 Hodgkins Lymphoma in October 2019.
For those of you who do not know, I would like to share with you what transpired and what has been going on.
I took Mike to the hospital on October 14, 2019, when he was complaining to me about severe chest pains; we both thought it had to do with his heart, or something stress induced. After several hours of testing, we were greeted by a team of Oncologists ; this was extremely shocking and scary for us, and we immediately called our parents. Together, with our parents, we were told that Mike appeared to have Lymphoma, which is a cancer that affects the lymph nodes and the body's ability to fight infection. Mike had been getting sick frequently throughout 2019, however, we did not connect it with cancer.
After two weeks of tests, scans, bone barrow collection and biopsies, it was confirmed that Mike had Stage 3 Hodgkins Lymphoma. He was recommended to be on 6 months of chemotherapy, and has been undergoing treatment at Baptist Hospital's Miami Cancer Institute with a team of exceptional doctors and staff.
Being that he is receiving treatment, the medical costs for the level of care that Mike needs are astronomical, and our insurance does not cover all of the specialized costs, prescriptions and supplies that he needs. This has been a great stressor to us, both emotionally and on a financial level. Unfortunately, the financial aspect of disease is unpredictable, especially when deductibles need to be met in order for treatment to be administered.
Mike has always been the primary breadwinner of our family, and due to the fact that he has to receive treatment, he has had to take time off from work to focus on his health. This has put a lot of strain on us, and we have been struggling to balance treatment costs, prescriptions, and our everyday bills. On top of that, we've experienced emergencies where we have had to go to the ER, or purchase extra medicine to help with side effects such as neuropathy, which at the present, is quite severe and has made it difficult for him to walk. To say the least, our needs are urgent.
I always get asked from people how they can help us, and I am humbly asking for your support. As his wife, it is hard to see him go through this battle, and one thing I do not want him to see him battle is worry, especially when his focus should be getting better.
Mike and I are truly grateful to whatever you can contribute, and we thank you in advance for your kindness, support and prayers.
Thank you,
Natalee Rivero
#MikeStrong
As some of you may already know, shortly after my husband turned 30, he was diagnosed with Stage 3 Hodgkins Lymphoma in October 2019.
For those of you who do not know, I would like to share with you what transpired and what has been going on.
I took Mike to the hospital on October 14, 2019, when he was complaining to me about severe chest pains; we both thought it had to do with his heart, or something stress induced. After several hours of testing, we were greeted by a team of Oncologists ; this was extremely shocking and scary for us, and we immediately called our parents. Together, with our parents, we were told that Mike appeared to have Lymphoma, which is a cancer that affects the lymph nodes and the body's ability to fight infection. Mike had been getting sick frequently throughout 2019, however, we did not connect it with cancer.
After two weeks of tests, scans, bone barrow collection and biopsies, it was confirmed that Mike had Stage 3 Hodgkins Lymphoma. He was recommended to be on 6 months of chemotherapy, and has been undergoing treatment at Baptist Hospital's Miami Cancer Institute with a team of exceptional doctors and staff.
Being that he is receiving treatment, the medical costs for the level of care that Mike needs are astronomical, and our insurance does not cover all of the specialized costs, prescriptions and supplies that he needs. This has been a great stressor to us, both emotionally and on a financial level. Unfortunately, the financial aspect of disease is unpredictable, especially when deductibles need to be met in order for treatment to be administered.
Mike has always been the primary breadwinner of our family, and due to the fact that he has to receive treatment, he has had to take time off from work to focus on his health. This has put a lot of strain on us, and we have been struggling to balance treatment costs, prescriptions, and our everyday bills. On top of that, we've experienced emergencies where we have had to go to the ER, or purchase extra medicine to help with side effects such as neuropathy, which at the present, is quite severe and has made it difficult for him to walk. To say the least, our needs are urgent.
I always get asked from people how they can help us, and I am humbly asking for your support. As his wife, it is hard to see him go through this battle, and one thing I do not want him to see him battle is worry, especially when his focus should be getting better.
Mike and I are truly grateful to whatever you can contribute, and we thank you in advance for your kindness, support and prayers.
Thank you,
Natalee Rivero
#MikeStrong