Support Michele’s Cancer Treatment & Recovery

Dear Friends and Family,

I am writing to you with an update about our family. In September 2022, my mom, Michele Sher, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a rare cancer of the plasma cells that is currently incurable. This news has been devastating for our family in more ways than I can put into words. Many of the people who have been lucky enough to encounter my mother have told me that she is an angel on Earth. She is the kind of person who carries herself with integrity, compassion, and selflessness. As her eldest daughter, I have witnessed first-hand how my mom personifies these angelic qualities, which she displays tenfold for her children: myself (24), Jordan (18), Izzy (10), and Ana (10). My two amazing sisters, Izzy and Ana, were adopted by my parents in 2015. Izzy and Ana both have Autism Spectrum Disorder among several other developmental disabilities. As many fourth graders are, my sisters are deeply attached to my mom who is their primary caregiver. This is all to say - Michele is the foundation of our family structure. She is our rock.

Although multiple myeloma is incurable, there is a standard of care within the field that allows the possibility of a lengthy remission. After considering the options with her treatment team at Yale New Haven Hospital, we decided that the best intervention for her health is an autologous stem cell transplant. The goal of this treatment is to restore her body’s ability to create healthy blood cells after undergoing high-dose chemotherapy. This procedure requires a two-week inpatient hospitalization in addition to several months of outpatient recovery. It is a toxic treatment with grueling side effects. Luckily, my mom’s unwavering resiliency and brilliant team of doctors have allowed her body to respond well to the treatment she has received thus far. During her stem cell collection this week, her team collected 9 million stem cells, 3 million over the goal! However, the stem cell transplant will be far more intense and exhausting.

Our family has been overwhelmed by the incredible amount of support this network has offered to us and we are sincerely grateful. With the stem cell transplant looming ahead, we are looking for support in any form. It would be most helpful to receive help in the following ways:

1. The dates April 11-May 30, 2023 are dates that we anticipate to be the most challenging. One way to support our family is to provide financial support to assist with our family’s transportation to Smilow Cancer Center, meal preparation, and other additional medical expenses (like the purchase of a full-body heating pad for Michele!). If you are able to provide support in this way, I have created a GoFundMe to Support Michele’s Cancer Treatment & Recovery to collect any contributions.

2. As much as we love to cook here, between traveling back and forth from the hospital and work, my dad and I will not always have time to prepare dinners every week. If you would like, I am including this spreadsheet with sign-up dates to prepare dinner and drop it off (if you are local) or send a meal.

3. If you are unable to help in the above ways, please know your support is still immensely appreciated in the form of a card or words of care and strength and thoughts and prayers. Any words of support can be sent to our home address, 434 Cherry Brook Road, Canton, CT 06019 and will be shared with Michele.

My mom has always put others before herself. During this time, I would like the magnitude of love and care she shows towards others mirrored back at her. Please help me show her how much my mom is treasured by those in her orbit. With your support, we can make this journey a touch easier for her.

With immense gratitude and love,

Alexis