Update 10/16: 

Dad passed away peacefully surrounded by his son, daughter, and wife on October 16 at 12:34am.  Thank you for all of the support, the prayers, and donations through this journey. We will miss him dearly.  He leaves a beautiful legacy behind. All further donations will go to his funeral arrangements and final wishes of taking his ashes to be spread in Teleco Falls TN 

Update 10/13: 

Dad is fighting hard.  Doctors found he has invasive aspergillosis, a serious fungal lung infection that's dangerous for someone whose immune system has been wiped out by leukemia treatment. It's also caused some bleeding in his lungs, so he needs a lot of oxygen right now. His team is treating it aggressively with two strong antifungals and platelet transfusions. The good news: his white blood cells are starting to come back, and they look healthy. His immune system is what will help him beat this. The next several days are critical. Please keep the prayers coming, and if you can, consider donating blood or platelets, not only does dad need them daily but so many do! Thank you for everything.

Update 10/5: we are now battling pneumonia, a-fib, low blood pressure, elevated liver enzymes, and gallbladder issues in addition to the AML. Today dad’s going for CT scan of his abdomen, pelvis, and chest so we can see what is going on specifically with his liver and gallbladder. Chemo has been stopped the last 3 days due to the liver issues. Please keep the prayers coming. Thank you for all the donations, shares, and prayers. Overall, my dad remains in good spirits and has a positive attitude which I am grateful for. Mindset is half the battle. 

Update 10/2: confirmed AML with a FLT-3 mutation. They have the ability to target this mutation directly through a specific medication and will begin that in the next 5-7 days. Overall, dad’s spirits are high, he’s sleeping a good bit but that’s to be expected! Right now docs are focused on getting him outta Afib and out of PCU so he can continue chemo on the normal floor. Still looking at 4-6 weeks in the hospital. Please continue praying that we make it through these next few weeks with no infections or bleeding! Thank you for your continued prayers, donations, and support. 

Original post: 

I am raising funds for my dad, Mario. He is one of the sweetest, most incredible people I know, and he has always been the kind of person who shows up for everyone he loves. He is a veteran, a father, a husband, and my brother’s and my hero.

This past week, he became extremely sick and was hospitalized. Within a matter of days, our lives changed completely when he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. He was transferred to Candler Hospital in Savannah, where he is now undergoing treatment. We were moved to PCU Wednesday and we are still there due to dad going into A-fib. We are still waiting on final testing to determine the specific subtype of AML so his oncology team can decide the best treatment plan moving forward.

Everything has happened so fast. My dad went from living his life, working, staying active, and traveling to see friends, to being hospitalized and starting chemotherapy within just 3 days. Right now, his doctors are focused on stabilizing him, treating the leukemia, and determining what the next phase of care will look like. We know he will be in the hospital for at least 4 -6 weeks, and our family will be staying in Savannah during that time so we can swap shifts and be there with him.

Our family is doing everything we can to make sure he never has to go through this alone. Because his treatment is in Savannah, that means traveling back and forth, extended stays away from home, and renting an Airbnb so we can remain close to him throughout his hospitalization and treatment and get the rest we need between shifts. Between lodging, meals, transportation, medical bills, and all of the unexpected expenses that come with a sudden cancer diagnosis, the financial burden adds up quickly.

We are creating this GoFundMe to help take some of that pressure off our family so that our energy can stay where it belongs: with my dad and helping him fight this. Donations will help cover family travel to and from Savannah, our Airbnb while we stay close to him, meals, transportation, medical bills, and other expenses that arise throughout his treatment and recovery. this will be a long road, donations would help us manage the ongoing costs of staying near Mario and supporting him through the weeks and months to come. if you aren’t in a position to give, simply throwing up some prayers, good energy, or vibes and sharing this fundraiser means more to us than you know.

Anyone who knows my dad knows the kind of person he is. He is strong, loving, funny, and deeply loved. He served his country, has spent his life taking care of his family, and has been there for so many people throughout his life. Right now, we want to surround him with that same love and support. We don’t know exactly what the coming weeks and months will bring, but we do know one thing: Dad will not face this alone. Thank you for loving my dad, supporting our family, and helping us carry some of the weight during one of the hardest times of our lives.