Support Michelle Blackford's Battle with Lymphoma

Our cousin, friend, and community champion Michelle Blackford needs our help.

Michelle is the kind of person who has spent her life lifting others up. For over 20 years, she has been a beloved educator at Pueblo West High School in Pueblo West, Colorado. She’s coached basketball and golf, mentored countless students, and always gone above and beyond to serve her community. She’s also a proud wife to Mike and the loving mother of two wonderful children — her daughter Morgan and son Brodie.

Michelle is the heart of her family and a loyal friend to many. She loves crafting, playing golf, watching sports (especially basketball and baseball), and cherishes any time she can spend with her family and friends.

Now, she’s facing the toughest challenge of her life.

Michelle was recently diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. After exploring her options, she was accepted into a groundbreaking clinical trial at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. Only 50 patients nationwide were selected — 40 in Houston and 10 at the Mayo Clinic — and Michelle is one of them.

This trial brings real hope. It includes cutting-edge treatments like immunotherapy and CAR T-cell therapy that offer promising results where traditional treatments have fallen short. But it also comes with steep financial burdens.

The trial covers one of the critical drugs, but not the other two. It also does not reimburse any travel, lodging, or hospitalization costs. Michelle has already made three trips to Houston this month and has been hospitalized twice due to reactions to the infusions. Thankfully, she’s responded better to the latest treatment — a testament to her strength — but the journey is far from over.

She will need to travel to Houston at least once a month for the next two years and likely more frequently this summer as she begins a third treatment drug. Some infusions will be done closer to home in Greeley, Colorado, but Houston will remain a regular, costly destination.

Michelle has given so much to her students, her athletes, her family, and her community. Now it’s our turn to give back. Your donation — no matter the size — will help ease the financial strain so Michelle and her family can focus on healing, not logistics.

And if you can’t donate, please share her story. Every bit of support makes a difference.

Let’s show Michelle that she’s not alone in this fight. Let’s walk this road with her, step by step.

Thank you for your love, your support, and your prayers.