Support Madison's Bone Marrow Transplant
Hi! We are Madison's family and we have created this medical fundraiser on her behalf.
Madison left her home in Las Vegas on August 18th, and traveled to Seattle to the Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center/Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) for 5 months of treatment, consisting of chemotherapy, radiation and a bone marrow transplant, as she battles life threatening Aplastic Anemia, a rare blood disease that has caused complete bone marrow failure.
For the last year, Madison had been privately battling her illness. After months of seeing doctors in 3 different states, endless tests, and countless blood and platelet transfusions, she was finally diagnosed with acquired Aplastic Anemia. Her doctors are unable to determine how Madison acquired this disease, as it was not inherited, and is extremely difficult to pinpoint. Her bone marrow failure has caused critically low blood counts, which limit her day-to-day activities. She is severely immune-compromised, and everyday simple tasks are exhausting. She must receive blood transfusions every 10-14 days to keep her levels safe. She has continued to push on, attempting to maintain as much of a normal life as physically possible, such as continuing to attempt working full time, and planning her wedding for November (of which has been postponed indefinitely.)
Her doctors have told us that Madison’s best chance for a full recovery is a bone marrow transplant. The extensive and stressful search for a bone marrow donor was unsuccessful on the world wide bone marrow registry (out of over 20+ million people registered.) Luckily for Madison, her half-sister Miranda was tested, and even though the chances were low at only a 12% chance that she would be a good enough match, we found out that Miranda is an 8 out of 10 match, and is Madison’s donor! We could not be more relieved and blessed that we have a donor for Madison in her incredibly supportive sister.
Unfortunately, the medical doctors in Las Vegas were not able to provide the experienced specialists or resources needed to perform the type of bone marrow transplant Madison needs, so she had to make the decision to leave her fiancé Bryan and her 2 dogs Hudson and Rufus, and travel to Seattle for treatment. Luckily, not only is Fred Hutch/SCCA is her best chance for a cure, it is also where Madison is originally from, and where her family support team is located.
Madison’s transplant has extensive costs associated that will not be covered by her health insurance, and they are daunting. These costs include but are not limited to:
• Out of state travel expenses and medical bills: These include travel expenses and medical bills for emergency care and specialists not covered, that she has already incurred over the past 11 months while looking for a diagnosis, but also travel for her 5 months of treatment.
• Out of state housing costs: During her 5 months of treatment, she is required to stay no further than 30 minutes in heavy traffic from the treatment center or hospital, so she will have to stay in Seattle at SCCA housing, and unable to stay with family.
• Daily living expenses, medications and medical treatment costs not covered by insurance, as well as a variety of other unknown expenses that will emerge during the process, that we do not have a complete list of yet.
• Loss of income: We are unable to anticipate how much she will physically be able to work during her 5 months of treatment, and will experience a loss of income.
OTHER WAYS YOU CAN HELP
1. If you are unable to donate, we ask that you please consider getting screened for a bone marrow match. While you may not be Madison’s match, you may be the key to saving someone else’s life. Please consider getting screened at one of the 2 options that exist: BeTheMatch.org or Giftoflife.org. The testing process is very simple, you sign up online. You are then sent a test kit to your home, which consists of a mouth swab that you do yourself, and then send back. It’s that easy, and you are placed on the registry.
2. Please consider donating blood and platelets. Madison has relied for months on blood and platelet transfusions to keep her blood levels safe. Please find your local blood donation organization in your area, and donate as often as you can!
Madison has taken this disease head on, and plans to continue fight it with all she has. We are so proud of her strength and resilience, and we know she will beat this! A special thank you goes out to all of Madison’s friends and family thus far who have reached out, donated blood and have already gotten screened to be donors. You are all amazing, and we thank you for your support!
