The Fife's Fight against Leukemia #SimonStrong

Simon Fife, a rising junior at Mount Everett High School in Sheffield, MA, did not

expect to spend his 16th birthday at Baystate Medical Center Children’s Hospital. He was immediately hospitalized on Thursday, June 22nd after his parents, Jim and Teri Fife, had his pediatrician examine unusual bruising. He was diagnosed with APL (Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia) on Monday June 26th.

Simon and his family never saw this coming. He was not sick and they did not expect their lives to be turned upside down in a matter of hours.

Simon began treatment on Monday, June 26th and will be staying at Baystate for a

minimum of 2 weeks receiving daily IV and oral chemotherapy treatments. Once Simon is able to come home, he will need to return to Baystate for daily treatments of IV chemotherapy and tranfusions of blood and blood product as they are needed. These treatments will take between 5 and 8 hours each day. Simon will undergo another bone marrow biopsy on day 29 and further treatment will be determined at that time, with the likely course of treatment being returning to Baystate seven days a week for one year for IV chemotherapy.

We are hopeful that this aggressive treatment plan will do its job.

The next year is going to be a long, hard road for the Fife Family. Friends and

community members have asked how they can help. A Go Fund Me Page has been set

up to allow Simon’s parents, Jim and Teri Fife, to be at his side and focus on helping

Simon beat this without the added worry of financial obligations.

Please keep Simon and his family in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you.

#SimonStrong