Monica's Medical Fund

My name is Brian Grawer and I am setting this goFundMe account up for my friend and colleague, Ben Pointer.  Ben has been a part of our Baxalta family for two years now as the TBM in the St. Louis Territory for our Specialty Sales Division.  I had the pleasure of hiring Ben, and through these two years have gotten to know him and his family very well.  

Some of you may be aware about the heartbreaking diagnosis that Ben Pointer and his wife Molly recently received about their 9yr old daughter, Monica.  She was recently diagnosed with a rare form of thyroid cancer called MEN2B (Multiple Neuroma syndrome).  Some data suggests that this is a one-in-a-million diagnosis.  I have attached a link with more information around MEN2B
http://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/multiple-endocrine-neoplasia-type/

This January, Monica had surgery at STL Children's hospital removing her thyroid and some of her lymph nodes.  Unfortunately, this did not remove all of the impacted lymph nodes and she is considered Stage 4.  

Currently Monica is in a "wait and see" timeline.  She has her good days and bad days.  Many days lately she has had more bad days than good, experiencing headaches, frequently vomitting and skin tone more pale than usual.   Next  steps are to have her calcitonin levels measured 6 months post surgery to help the specialists determine what the next steps should be for her disease management.   

The funds we raise here will help the Pointer's with their current and future medical expenses they have and that they will accumulate during this process.  Ben would never ask anyone for any financial assistance, so I am creating this on his behalf (without his knowledge).   

Ben is an amazingly positive, high-energy and passionate person.  He is an even better father and husband.  He makes others around him smile and happy, even during these difficult times.  Please show your financial support and help provide some ease of mind to an extremely stressful situation.   It would be so greatly appreciated!