Andre Family Cancer fund

In March of 2021, Michael was working construction out of state when he started having night sweats, excessive bruising and persistent fatigue. He went to the emergency room and was given a blood transfusion and told within 2 hours that he most likely had a type of blood cancer. He then flew back home to Florida to be with his family and receive an official diagnosis from Moffitt cancer center. The news hit us deeply; he is the love of my life, my best friend, and a wonderful father to our children. We have a 15-month and a 6-year-old together, and I can't imagine them growing up without him. It is difficult even for me to write through the emotions of it all. After finding Moffit Cancer Center and getting a bone marrow biopsy, they concluded that he had Acute Myeloid Leukemia with an intermediate to high-risk prognosis. After months in the hospital and three rounds of chemo, he was finally in remission. The cancer came back within six weeks, and he is now waiting to get the bone marrow transplant.

As for now, he had just finished his 4th round of chemo and is now on maintenance chemo until he meets the requirements for getting the Bone Marrow Transplant. Thankfully, they just found a donor and are waiting on a few things before beginning the procedure. One of the requirements is that he needs to have full dental clearance; He recently went to an appointment, and the only way the dentist would clear him for the transplant is to get five teeth pulled. The dental work is because they cannot contain the spread of infection like that while getting the transplant because he will have no immune system to fight it off. He went to two other dentists to try and get different opinions, but they all said the same thing. He also has to be within 30 minutes of Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa for the duration of his treatment and recovery. We live 3 hours away in Okeechobee, so we would have to pay for lodging, food and transportation to and from. The process for a BMT can take months, and we need these funds to start that process. They do have lodging they provide, but Medicaid only covers it while getting treatment, not for when he is recovering, and the recovery takes about four months. I work part-time and care for our children, and there is only so much I can do, so we also need a full-time caretaker now and after he leaves the hospital and is recovering.

After seeing what he went through during chemo, I have a whole new level of empathy for people who have this terrible illness. I don't want to linger on details of what happens when they go through chemo but trust me; it is difficult to watch someone you love suffer the way he has. He is the most selfless person I have ever known and even going through everything he is going through. He is still more worried about us than himself, and I owe him doing everything I can to help him recover mentally, emotionally and physically. I wouldn't have the life I have today if it weren't for him; he always hoped for the best and loved me through my worst. He has always been there for us and has helped anyone around him in need. Please help Michael continue the good fight. Thank you for your prayers, good faith and generosity. God bless.