Pat's MDS Journey
Spende geschützt
Many of you know from following Pat Killian Vesperman on Facebook of her medical issues that resulted in a diagnosis of Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) in March of 2017. MDS is a pre-leukemia disease of the blood and marrow where the cells in the bone marrow are damaged. In some cases, this damage to the marrow can date back to a patient’s prior treatments with chemotherapy and/or radiation, both of which she was treated with in 2004-05 after breast cancer. The only cure for MDS currently is a bone marrow transplant.
We were fortunate enough to be referred to a world wide expert in MDS at MD Anderson in Houston, Texas. The visits to Houston since April have involved meeting with the Drs in the Leukemia Center as well as the Stem Cell Transplant Center, blood tests, bone marrow biopsy’s and beginning a clinical trial with chemo injections. The good news is we recently learned that the Stem Cell Transplant Center has found a perfect match for a transplant!!
The low white blood counts and red blood counts have made it difficult for Pat to work her part time job at the AT&T Center, since she is quite susceptible to infections coming in contact with large crowds and can become fatigued more easily.
She is fortunate to have medical coverage from Verizon but, the trips to Houston for each 5 day cycle under the Clinical Trial and, subsequently, having a bone marrow transplant in Houston will mean committing to being near the Medical Center for 100 days with a full time caregiver, with lodging in an available furnished apartment, which will be costly. In addition, we are going to need an almost full time caregiver for Pat's mother, Norma, who will stay in San Antonio during this time.
It is for this reason we ask for your assistance to ensure that these additional details can be carried through without worrying about paying for the care, additional lodging and other miscellaneous co-pays. For what it is worth, the standard cost quoted to us for a transplant from a non-related relative today can cost between $456,846-$1,116,677. Even being responsible for 10% of such fees can certainly be difficult.
So, if you can contribute to the cause, her family would greatly appreciate it. If you Like the page, named Pat's MDS Journey, you will receive any updates about Pat's journey here, instead of her regular facebook page. Please share if you are so inclined. Thank you for your consideration and support!
Update: From Pat’s visit to MD Anderson during the last week of July, it appears we are moving towards a more definite plan regarding determining when the transplant will occur! In the meantime, Pat is participating with the clinical trial, having her blood counts monitored weekly and receiving blood transfusions as necessary when her hemoglobin count falls below acceptable amounts. She would like to thank everyone for the support!
We were fortunate enough to be referred to a world wide expert in MDS at MD Anderson in Houston, Texas. The visits to Houston since April have involved meeting with the Drs in the Leukemia Center as well as the Stem Cell Transplant Center, blood tests, bone marrow biopsy’s and beginning a clinical trial with chemo injections. The good news is we recently learned that the Stem Cell Transplant Center has found a perfect match for a transplant!!
The low white blood counts and red blood counts have made it difficult for Pat to work her part time job at the AT&T Center, since she is quite susceptible to infections coming in contact with large crowds and can become fatigued more easily.
She is fortunate to have medical coverage from Verizon but, the trips to Houston for each 5 day cycle under the Clinical Trial and, subsequently, having a bone marrow transplant in Houston will mean committing to being near the Medical Center for 100 days with a full time caregiver, with lodging in an available furnished apartment, which will be costly. In addition, we are going to need an almost full time caregiver for Pat's mother, Norma, who will stay in San Antonio during this time.
It is for this reason we ask for your assistance to ensure that these additional details can be carried through without worrying about paying for the care, additional lodging and other miscellaneous co-pays. For what it is worth, the standard cost quoted to us for a transplant from a non-related relative today can cost between $456,846-$1,116,677. Even being responsible for 10% of such fees can certainly be difficult.
So, if you can contribute to the cause, her family would greatly appreciate it. If you Like the page, named Pat's MDS Journey, you will receive any updates about Pat's journey here, instead of her regular facebook page. Please share if you are so inclined. Thank you for your consideration and support!
Update: From Pat’s visit to MD Anderson during the last week of July, it appears we are moving towards a more definite plan regarding determining when the transplant will occur! In the meantime, Pat is participating with the clinical trial, having her blood counts monitored weekly and receiving blood transfusions as necessary when her hemoglobin count falls below acceptable amounts. She would like to thank everyone for the support!
Organisator und Spendenbegünstigter
Katie Vesperman
Organisator
New Braunfels, TX
Pat Vesperman
Spendenbegünstigte