Dear Family and Friends,
We are reaching out with an incredibly HOPE-filled update – and grateful request for support – for our sister, Elise, in her continued battle against aggressive Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). Please read on for some encouraging news!
Quick recap: Elise was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) in September 2024 and in Seattle, she bravely endured multiple rounds of chemo, full body radiation, and a bone marrow transplant with a grueling recovery. The cancer aggressively returned almost a year later, in October 2025. Since then, she has been receiving regular chemo treatments, but was told that a chance at a cure was completely off the table.
Until now! After many tests and consultations, her incredible team at Fred Hutch determined that she is eligible for a second bone marrow transplant. To say that this is incredible news is an understatement. A recent biopsy confirmed she is indeed in remission, and able to undergo a second transplant that will give her another concrete shot at a cure.
If all goes to plan, the conditioning (approximately four days of chemo and one day of full body radiation) will start on April 18. Elise will receive her second transplant on April 24. The donor is actually our sister, Ava, who is a 50% match. Elise’s care team is confident in their plan to compensate for the unmatched half, including another round of a special chemo designed to prevent Graft vs Host Disease (GVHD). They will administer this additional chemo to Elise three days after the transplant.
As with Elise’s first transplant, she will need to remain in Seattle for a minimum of 100 days after the transplant. The financial logistics of this on such short notice have already posed a tremendous challenge, as Elise and Davey look ahead toward another long, stressful recovery road.
The funds we are now raising for Elise will go directly toward:
Medical Expenses: Covering the costs of chemotherapy, hospital stays, and specialized treatments not covered by insurance.
Living Expenses: Davey and Elise will need to get temporary housing in Seattle over those 100 days and support will help cover the cost of that as well as meals, transportation, and day-to-day expenses so they can focus entirely on her care without the added financial stress.
As before, support of any kind is deeply appreciated and makes a tremendous difference to Elise, Davey, and their families. These closing words here are from Elise herself:
“If you are the praying kind, please pray for guidance, provision, and peace. Thanks for all the love that has carried me to this point. I know it will keep carrying me in.”
We’ll keep you updated from here. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for standing with Elise as she fights this second fight, now with an increased level of HOPE that we believe is fresh evidence of God at work in her courageous and evolving story.
With hope, love, and so much gratitude –
The Leal and Henreckson Families