Last week, our family received news that changed everything. After several weeks of unusual fatigue and a rapidly growing lump in his neck, my brother, Drew Joerger, was diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma, a rare and aggressive form of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Burkitt lymphoma grows quickly, but it is also highly responsive to intensive chemotherapy. Drew’s medical team is treating this with curative intent, and his odds of beating this are strong — around 80% with modern treatment.

He began an intensive chemotherapy regimen called Hyper-CVAD on February 28. The treatment is aggressive but structured and time-limited, lasting approximately five months. Each cycle involves inpatient care during chemotherapy infusions days followed by a short recovery at home before the next round begins.

Because lymphoma is a cancer of the blood and immune system, it is treated as a whole-body disease from the start. While his scans show involvement in multiple lymph nodes (classified as Stage 4), this does not mean what Stage 4 means in many other cancers. The goal remains cure.

Drew must take an extended medical leave from work while undergoing treatment. He does not have paid leave and is seeking support for medical and living expenses during the treatment.

If you know Drew, you know he is not defined by this diagnosis.

He is a beloved high school history teacher who invests deeply in his students. He is the kind of educator who remembers details about your life years later and shows up fully in every conversation. When his students recently learned of his diagnosis, they flooded him with funny, heartfelt emails — a reflection of the impact he has had on them.

Outside the classroom, Drew is an outdoorsman at heart. He bikes, kayaks, backpacks, hikes, seeks out live music, and loves discovering great restaurants. He makes friends everywhere he goes — whether it’s someone standing next to him at a concert or the nurses and staff now caring for him in the hospital. Even while waiting for a diagnosis, he kept saying, “I just better not miss my Boundary Waters trip this summer.” That’s who he is: steady, hopeful, always looking ahead.

Our hope is simple: that Drew can focus entirely on healing — not on how to pay rent — and return to the classroom and the outdoors as soon as he is able.

If you feel moved to give, we are deeply grateful. If you’re not in a position to donate, sharing this page means just as much.

Thank you for surrounding Drew with strength, encouragement, and steady support during this fight.

Venmo: @Andrew-Joerger