Support Bug's Life-Saving Bone Marrow Transplant
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$11,157 raised of
211 donations
Bug is going to be receiving a bone marrow transplant and needs community support in order to survive. Bug is a fixture of the Minneapolis Queer and Disabled communities, as well as the national Punk community, from Tallahassee to Minneapolis.
Bug has been disabled since going through chemotherapy their senior year of high school. Most people who have met Bug are familiar with them having some level of disability. Now, as they are passing ten years of having the blood disorder PNH, their quality of life has begun to plummet and their specialists have come to the conclusion that the only way forward is through a Bone Marrow Transplant.
They are going to be in the hospital starting on October 22nd until mid to late December. They will receive chemotherapy and radiation to prepare their bone marrow for the transplant, which will leave them with a completely fresh immune system in order to hopefully avoid Graft Versus Host Disease (GVH). These medicines will have a severe impact on Bug's capabilities for a long time to come; they will be more susceptible to infectious diseases (including COVID-19) and will have new mobility and cognitive challenges.
We are hoping that, by taking this leap, Bug will begin to feel respite from the PNH symptoms that have kept them bedridden and hospitalized regularly for ten years. However, the road following their release from the hospital will be tough: they will need to be completely revaccinated (a process that will take two years). They will require full-time care for the first 100 days in a location that is isolated from the outside world, and then for the following 6 months (or more), they will need ongoing support while their new immune system grows and their body recovers.
How You Can Help:
This journey comes with major financial challenges:
- Medical Expenses – Transplant-related out-of-pocket costs, labs, prescriptions, and post-transplant care
- Temporary Housing – Temporarily relocating to an isolated apartment to be in a safe environment (no mold, dust particles, foot traffic)
- Travel Costs – Expenses for care help to fly caregivers to Minneapolis and provide a location where they can safely quarantine)
- Emergency Needs – Funds for complications, secondary procedures, or unexpected delays, especially following their release from the hospital
- Quality of Life - As this is a life-saving procedure that Bug will be going through, we want to make sure that Bug's mental health and morale stay positive. Providing little comforts along the way will make a world of difference on the way to their recovery
Our Current Fundraising Goal: $15,000
We’ve set this goal intentionally to allow Bug to focus fully on healing without the weight of financial stress, a weight that has been near constant for them for most of their adult life.
Your gift could help with:
- $15 – An Uber to the oncologist's office
- $50 - Cleaning supplies
- $100 – Groceries for Bug during recovery
- $250 – A powerful air filter to prevent airborne infection
- $500 - Airfare accommodations for Bug's out-of-town care team
- $400 – One month of Bug's rent and utilities while they are out of work
- $4,000 – Two-month's worth of rent in the COVID-safe housing recommended by the hospital (during the first 100 days)