Hi, I am Sandler Rae, on my 23rd birthday, I was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). It’s still hard to put into words how surreal that feels.

This diagnosis came just weeks before I had graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering. I was excited to start my career and step into the life I had worked so hard for. Instead, I’m now spending my days in the hospital, undergoing intensive chemotherapy and preparing for a bone marrow transplant. I won’t be able to work for the foreseeable future.

I’m doing everything I can to stay strong and positive, but this journey has come with overwhelming emotional and financial challenges. I’m raising funds to help cover essential expenses that aren’t fully covered by insurance, including:

• Monthly Lupron injections to help protect my fertility during chemotherapy. Each injection costs thousands of dollars out of pocket every 30 days, and they are medically necessary during treatment.

• Bone marrow donor search costs, including National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) registry fees. Each donor swab kit and processing cost adds up as we urgently search for the best possible match.

• Ongoing medical, living, and recovery-related expenses during long hospital stays and transplant preparation.

This is not how I imagined my 23rd year of life would begin. I’m trying to hold onto hope, lean on the people I love, and focus on healing so I can someday return to the life and career I worked so hard to build.

If you’re able to donate, please know that every contribution no matter the size means more than I can express. If you can’t donate, sharing this page or keeping me in your thoughts and prayers truly helps too.

Thank you for supporting me during the fight of my life.