Support Julie Saari's fight vs. Leukemia

First, a bit of background about the Saari Family-

 

James and Julie Saari are tireless, hard working parents of 4 kids, two of which are in college. James works as a full-time math teacher at Bemidji High School, and Julie works hard at keeping up with the home (inside and out of the house), family schedules, and their dock and lift business, which keeps both of them extremely busy during spring, summer, and early fall months.

 

Here is their most recent story - a story and reality that will take a tremendous toll on their spirits and their finances:

 

Recently, Julie Saari was diagnosed with B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), a rare form of cancer. Julie contracted COVID-19 in mid-January, and experienced severe back pain following contracting C-19. She went in to the ER and doctor multiple times, and it was thought that her back pain was a lingering side effect of C-19, but should subside eventually. Julie thought it was something more, and asked for blood tests. On February 18, 2022, she received news from her doctor that she has B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL).

 

Due to the nature of the cancer, she immediately had to go to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester to begin treatment. Julie will be undergoing regular chemotherapy treatments in cycles of 4 weeks on and 1 week off. She will be hospitalized at the Mayo Clinic during the 4-week treatment cycle, and should be able to go home during her week off. There will be many cycles to this treatment plan over the course of the next 1-2 years, but this will ultimately be determined based upon her progress during the course of her treatment.

 

James is traveling down weekly to spend time with his wife, which of course, from Bemidji to Rochester is a haul. Addie (their daughter) is traveling down from Duluth.

 

Unfortunately, due to hospital protocols, no overnight visitors are allowed. Currently, Julie is allowed 2 daytime visitors. The expenses for gas, food, and hotel stays are the most immediate need.

 

They are estimating that the treatment plan will take 1-2 years - of course, there will be weekly expenses, and medical bills will start piling up (after insurance is paid). In fact, they have already met their $5,000 out-of-pocket deductible for Julie's tests and treatment. There will be significant expenses for travel, lodging, food, and impending medical expenses as she fights this cancer.

 

All funds raised will help defray these unavoidable travel expenses, and as medical bills start rolling in, to help with these as well. Any donation amount is very much appreciated.

 

The Saaris are an extremely hard-working, proud, and honest family - they are not directly asking for help. I encourage all family and friends to pray for this family, and consider donating to help ease the stress of their newly embarked upon journey.

 

Regular updates to Julie's progress will be posted to this page.

 

If you want to drop Julie a note, her NEW address (as of April 12, 2022) is:

 

Julie Saari

Eisenberg 7-209

291 West Center Street

Rochester, MN 55995

 

You can also follow Julie's treatment blog posts on Facebook, entitled 'A Day at the Spa.'

 

https://www.facebook.com/A-Day-at-the-Spa-111793528104476/

 

Thank you-

 

Jeremy Leffelman