Follow Mike’s progress against 2 forms of Leukemia

It’s unfathomable to be battling one form of Leukemia, let alone two! But that’s where my friends, Mike and Terri Graves are.

My name is Susan Wiggins and the TeamMike members on this fundraising campaign are Dionna Reeb, Tricia Hickey, and Michelle Hartman. I am so grateful to have these ladies involved to help us reach our goal.

I first met Mike’s wife, Terri, when I joined the Mesa Aquatics Club Masters swim team just over a year ago. The first thing I learned was that this team was community, camaraderie, and FAMILY. Mike was already entrenched in his first battle with Leukemia. Terri, who was ALWAYS positive and uplifting to others, hid her despair over what her husband was truly going through. Fast forward to over a year later, and Mike’s battle has worsened and his last hope now is a bone marrow transplant. It became obvious to me that Mike and Terri, now very much a part of my family, needed help.

Mike was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) in September 2022. Instead of a bone marrow transplant then, his oncologist recommended a long term plan of chemotherapy and told them up front it could take a year to achieve results. It was brutal on his body, his mind, and their happiness. Just over a year later, he was pronounced “in remission” but something still wasn’t right. In November 2023 they discovered that he had Myelodysplastic syndrome. By December 2023, he was diagnosed with a SECOND FORM of leukemia: Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). This was a major blow to all the progress they had made as this form is much more aggressive, rare and deadly. Mike was told chemo would be suspended but he refused to give up!

At this time, he has now become a candidate for a bone marrow transplant! He has been preparing his already ravaged body and soul in hopes that insurance would approve that. And it has happened!!!! After several weeks of waiting, insurance was approved AND a match of nearly 100% was found! A 30-year old female residing here in the US is Mike's donor. For over a month now, Mike has been going to Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center several times a week for infusions of blood and platelets, numerous tests, biopsies, and procedures while waiting to find out the date for the transplant.

Mike is about to receive so much love and the greatest gift of all…..the GIFT OF LIFE from a total stranger! On February 14, 2024 (Valentine’s Day ❤️), Mike begins a 7 day course of extremely strong chemotherapy, will be admitted to the hospital on February 16th and the bone marrow transplant is scheduled for February 21st!! While this is glorious news, an even bigger battle looms for them.

Mike will need to be in the hospital for 30 days to make sure his body doesn’t reject it and that no infection sets in. Once he is released, he will need daily nursing care at home for 30-45 days. His wife Terri is a nurse! She is currently a Hospital Admissions Coordinator for Hospice Of The Valley, so the perfect care taker for Mike!

However (and there’s always a however!), there is much they need to do to prepare and battle through this. First, there is a $6200 deductible for the bone marrow transplant. Then there are things they have to do to prepare the house for his homecoming. The air ducts in the house need to be cleaned and the house professionally cleaned and sanitized, among other things, as his immune system will be non-existent for a while. (Edited 3/9/2024: We have found 4 different companies that are willing to donate their time and services to getting the house ready for Mike to come home! The things that need to be done are per Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center for his health and safety. Mike started a DIY flooring project before his diagnosis and was unable to finish it. Shane Machado and Evergreen Homes have finished it!; Thanks to the efforts of Ken Porter and Justine Kelly, Parker and Sons have cleaned the ductwork in the house and installed a whole house air purification system!; Berenice Rivas and her company Cielo’s House Cleaning have done a thorough deep clean of the house!; And Rocky Shumway and his company Freshly Cleaning have cleaned the carpets in 2 rooms and a large area rug!). We’ll feature each of these companies in our updates as the work unfolds. WE CAN’T THANK THEM ALL ENOUGH! ♥️

Terri has applied for, and received, FMLA from her wonderful employer Hospice Of the Valley. That means she can have the time off from work to be Mike’s daily care taker and she can maintain her insurance which Mike is on. But she will not be paid for the time off which is standard for the Family Medical Leave Act. Her salary is all they have. They will need financial help for mortgage, utilities, food, gas and all the daily costs of living until she can return to work full time.

Mike is fighting for his life with strength, hope and POSITIVITY! He and Terri are praying for the day they can go camping again; hiking again; and, in general, live a happy, active life together again.

We know times are hard for everyone now. Please consider making a donation of ANY amount to help them through this time. And please share the link for this fundraiser on your social media and with anyone you can through emails and texts. Sharing is just as important as donating and your help is so GREATLY appreciated!

On behalf of Mike and Terri….. A VERY HEARTFELT THANK YOU!!