A little over a week ago, our lives changed completely.

After becoming seriously ill and being admitted to Tacoma General, I was diagnosed with B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL). Since then, I have been hospitalized while my doctors work to clear a serious bloodstream infection and prepare me for leukemia treatment. The team at UW Medical Center is already guiding my care, and eventually I will be transferred there for the next stage of treatment.

There is still so much we don't know about what the coming weeks and months will look like. What we do know is that treatment will be intensive, and getting healthy again has to become my full-time job.

Today, another major change came for our family.

My employment was dissolved because I am unable to return to work within a timely manner due to my illness and the treatment ahead of me. That means I no longer have an income and, because of the seriousness of my condition, I also have no realistic opportunity to earn one again until I am healthy enough to return to work.

Losing my employment also means losing the company vehicle our family has been relying on. That vehicle now has to be returned. Our personal vehicle's engine blew several weeks ago, so we are now facing the possibility of having no reliable transportation at the exact time we will need it most for hospital visits, treatment at UW Medical Center, school, groceries, and simply keeping our family functioning.

And life outside of the hospital hasn't stopped.

School starts for our kid in just a few weeks. My wife is trying to hold our family together while also navigating everything that comes with having a spouse suddenly diagnosed with leukemia. We are now trying to figure out transportation, household expenses, medical expenses, food, back to school costs, and all of the unexpected expenses that come with spending weeks in the hospital and eventually receiving treatment in Seattle, all while losing our primary source of income.

It is difficult to describe how much has changed in such a short amount of time. One week ago we were living our normal lives, working, raising our family, playing music, making plans, and worrying about the ordinary things families worry about. Now our lives revolve around blood counts, infections, oncology teams, hospital rooms, chemotherapy, and waiting to find out what comes next.

The financial burden and stress this has created is enormous.

We are starting this GoFundMe because we need help creating some stability for our family while I fight this disease. Donations will help us cover housing and household expenses, food, transportation and eventually another reliable vehicle, travel and parking for treatment at UW Medical Center, school expenses for our child, medical-related costs, and everyday bills while I am unable to work.

As difficult as it is for me to ask for help, right now I need to focus my energy on surviving treatment and getting home to my family.

If you are able to contribute, we are incredibly grateful. If you aren't in a position to donate, sharing this fundraiser with others would mean just as much to us.

There is a long road ahead, and I don't know exactly where it leads yet. I do know that I intend to fight like hell to get through it, get healthy, get back to work, and get back to the life and people I love.

Thank you to everyone who has already reached out, visited, checked on us, brought us food, offered help, prayed for us, sent messages, or simply reminded us that we aren't going through this alone.

We love you, and we are grateful for every bit of support.