Together, we can turn Ali’s fight with a rare blood cancer into a story of strength and community.

As many of you know, our dear friend Ali has recently faced a very challenging time. After experiencing health concerns, he underwent a series of medical evaluations and was diagnosed with a super-rare blood-related cancer called LCH.

Fortunately, because of early diagnosis, this condition is not life-threatening, but it did require neurosurgery after doctors discovered a tumor in his skull. Ali will also need long-term medical supervision for several years to make sure he stays safe and healthy.

Ali was admitted to the hospital, where he received care leading up to his surgery. Last week, he underwent neurosurgery, and we are grateful to share that the procedure was successful. He is recovering well. After a short stay at a colleague’s home, Ali returned to his own house to continue his recovery.

While we celebrate this positive outcome, the journey has brought significant financial challenges. Ali now faces the combined costs of his care required before the operation, as well as ongoing expenses for medications, rehabilitation, and follow-up appointments in the future.

Throughout all of this, Ali has shown incredible strength, resilience, and positivity, inspiring everyone around him despite the challenges. We are coming together as a community to help ease this burden so Ali can focus fully on healing. Every contribution, big or small, will make a meaningful difference.

Your support will go directly toward:

- Medical bills from hospital stays before and after surgery

- Medications and rehabilitation

- Ongoing follow-up care, long-term checkups, and monitoring

- Therapy and mental health support during recovery

- Home care and recovery needs

If you are able, please consider making a donation and sharing this page with others. Together, we can lift some of the weight off Ali’s shoulders and remind him that he is not alone.

Thank you for your kindness, generosity, and love.❤️

Note: Ali is a graduate student at UVM studying speech therapy. As many of you know, medical insurance for graduate students is often inadequate, with high deductibles and limited coverage. If you’d like to better understand these challenges, you can read a UVM graduate student’s personal story about navigating medical bills despite having insurance here.

https://www.science.org/content/article/i-got-sick-during-my-ph-d-couldn-t-afford-treatment-grad-students-need-better-support