Support Melissa's Lifesaving Transplant Journey

On March 11, my best friend, Melissa, called me on her way to the emergency room. She required a blood transfusion following routine bloodwork, which had resulted with critically low white and red blood cells, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and platelets (among other concerning factors). After a seven day hospital stay, a team of hematologists and oncologists diagnosed Melissa with severe aplastic anemia. The cause of her condition is still unknown, but the effects on her body are evident — she is extremely fatigued, unable to fight infection, and remains at a high risk of bleeding without proper clotting factors. Since her discharge, Melissa has spent at minimum two days a week getting labs drawn and has received many blood and platelet transfusions, immune boosting injections, and the like.

The only cure to Melissa’s aplastic anemia is a bone marrow transplant. (Sidebar: if you haven’t joined the bone marrow registry, please consider! Melissa did not find a match in her family and will be receiving her stem cells from a very generous stranger.) At the end of May, Melissa will be admitted to Fox Chase Cancer Center, where she will receive chemotherapy and radiation to prepare her body for new stem cells. Post-transplant, she will need further treatment to prevent rejection. This will result in a month long hospital stay (at minimum, as doctors cannot predict how quickly she will heal), wherein she will likely lose her hair, her fertility, and for the summer — her freedom to go outside. With her team of highly skilled doctors and favorably matched donor, we are confident that Melissa’s lifesaving procedure will be a success. However, as you can imagine, it is expensive.

A monthlong stay in the hospital is just the beginning of the financial burden created by these circumstances. While there are many aspects contributing the bill, here’s what’s most pertinent:

These factors, while immense, do not include bills accrued during Melissa’s previous hospital stay, her frequent transfusions, or the treatment for the regional hemorrhages that have developed in both of her eyes as a result of this condition. Given the rapid onset of her illness, the Blondo family had no time to prepare for these costs. Any contribution to help offset these expenses is immensely appreciated, no matter how small. If you are not in a position to donate, simply sharing this link will assist in reaching a wider audience to assist Melissa and her family.

Thank you all so much for your well wishes. They make all the difference.