Smiley Strong

Hi, my name is Saili and I am fundraising for my husband Erik. In November of 2023, four days after our 12yr wedding anniversary Erik was diagnosed with B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia with KMT2A mutation. KMT2A is present in about 5%-15% of patients that are diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. We were told by his oncologists that prognosis for someone with this diagnosis was poor. Poor, because it did not respond well to treatment, and it had a high occurrence of relapse. The plan was to get him to remission so that he could have a bone marrow transplant. Since his diagnosis Erik has gone through 3 rounds of chemotherapy, multiple blood and platelet transfusions on top of a month of immunotherapy where he had to be attached to a medication pump. During this time his oncologist and team were searching for someone that would be a perfect match to be his stem cell donor. After 2 biopsies Erik's blood and bone marrow were in remission, but his minimal residual disease was still positive. Which means due to the mutation he had a higher chance of relapsing. The good news is that one of his brothers ended up being a perfect match for stem cell donation, and Erik could move on to a bone marrow transplant.

In March of 2024, Erik spent 30 days in the hospital where he received chemotherapy and radiation leading up to his bone marrow transplant. Erik tolerated chemotherapy, radiation and his bone marrow transplant like a champ. He had a few rough days after transplant where he developed some mouth sores and was feeling extremely exhausted, but he pushed through! Since he has been discharged from the hospital someone has to be with him for the first 100 days after to transplant to monitor for any symptoms of GVHD (graft vs host disease).

On April 16, 2024, 32 days post transplant Erik had a biopsy to see if he was in complete remission. On the 19th we received a call from his oncologist to let us know that the bone marrow transplant did not work. Erik's blood and bone marrow are in remission, however he still has minimal residual disease left over in his body, which again is not good due to his KMT2A mutation.

At his most recent appointment with his oncologist on April 24th he let us know that he has been in contact with another oncologist in Houston, Texas. This oncologist works at MD Anderson Cancer Center where they have been conducting a research for the last approximate 3 years on a drug that specifically targets the KMT2A mutation. The research they have done on the new drug is really promising for patients with Erik's diagnosis and mutation. The good news here is that Erik is a perfect candidate, and they are willing to accept Erik into their research study.

As of today, Erik is currently scheduled for an appointment with MD Anderson Center for May 14 and we're going to need some help. This is his initial consultation with some testing, and they expect us to stay in Houston for at least 5 days. When the actual treatment begins his length of stay will be longer, and he will have to go to Houston once a month after starting the medication to meet with the research oncologist.

Erik has been out of work since he was diagnosed, and I am the only one that is working. I have run out of PTO already with all the days that I have taken off to be there to support him. We started this gofundme to be able to get Erik to Houston for treatment. All donations will be used towards flights, hotels, car rental, food, medical bills, and any bills that start to pile up as we both are out of state and not working. We appreciate everyone that has helped us up until now and we continue to be grateful for those who can support us in any way. If you cannot donate, please share.

Thank you!