Help Theo Papathakis Fight Leukemia
Donation protected
Theo is an energetic 2-yr old who loves drawing, trains, and music, and is an excellent little brother to his older siblings, Eliana(6) and Andrew(12). Unfortunately, Theo was recently given a diagnosis of B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) and is currently receiving treatment at the Children's Hospital at Los Angeles. Prior to this diagnosis, Theo had been battling a low grade fever and was sick on and off for several weeks. When initial treatments failed, he was referred to the Children’s Hospital on 3/11/21, underwent a bone marrow biopsy, and started chemo shortly after.
Theo is considered a standard risk patient, and will undergo multiple rounds of chemotherapy treatment. His overall outlook is good and many children with this disease go into remission and are eventually cured (a patient is considered cured after 10 years in remission). That said, this will be a long journey, and Theo will require a lot of intense treatment for the next 24-30 months. Over this time period, there will be many trips to the Children’s Hospital, many tests, and plenty of risk for complications, especially due to COVID-19.
Theo’s parents (Kurt and Lindsay) have been spending as much time with him as possible. Unfortunately, the hospital is more than 60 miles from where they live (through LA traffic), so they are taking alternating overnight shifts while he is an inpatient at the hospital. The frequent long drives are already taking their toll and add even more stress on top of an already overwhelming diagnosis.
Theo’s diagnosis has forced Lindsay to delay her last semester of nursing school which results in at least 6 months of lost income for the family. And Kurt will soon run out of sick time as they both spend their days with Theo in the hospital. The situation is made more challenging as Kurt and Lindsay are not able to take advantage of great support systems such as the Ronald McDonald house (their other children, Eliana and Andrew, are not allowed at this time because of the pandemic). To help support Theo throughout his treatment, his parents are considering renting an apartment or hotel so the whole family can stay closer to the Children’s Hospital.
This is where you come in. As many of you who know Kurt and Lindsay can attest, they are the first to offer help to those in need. Now we have the opportunity to return their generosity and kindness. Many of you have asked how you can get involved and help. The most direct way to help Kurt and Lindsay is to contribute financially to help them pay for medical bills, transportation costs, and temporary housing. With our financial support, Kurt and Lindsay will be able to focus on providing Theo with all the emotional support he deserves. We appreciate how challenging it is to ask for financial assistance during a pandemic, but no donation is too small - it will all help Theo and his family get through this crisis together.
The next few years will be difficult, but Theo has a great deal of support from people like you - thank you <3
Theo is considered a standard risk patient, and will undergo multiple rounds of chemotherapy treatment. His overall outlook is good and many children with this disease go into remission and are eventually cured (a patient is considered cured after 10 years in remission). That said, this will be a long journey, and Theo will require a lot of intense treatment for the next 24-30 months. Over this time period, there will be many trips to the Children’s Hospital, many tests, and plenty of risk for complications, especially due to COVID-19.
Theo’s parents (Kurt and Lindsay) have been spending as much time with him as possible. Unfortunately, the hospital is more than 60 miles from where they live (through LA traffic), so they are taking alternating overnight shifts while he is an inpatient at the hospital. The frequent long drives are already taking their toll and add even more stress on top of an already overwhelming diagnosis.
Theo’s diagnosis has forced Lindsay to delay her last semester of nursing school which results in at least 6 months of lost income for the family. And Kurt will soon run out of sick time as they both spend their days with Theo in the hospital. The situation is made more challenging as Kurt and Lindsay are not able to take advantage of great support systems such as the Ronald McDonald house (their other children, Eliana and Andrew, are not allowed at this time because of the pandemic). To help support Theo throughout his treatment, his parents are considering renting an apartment or hotel so the whole family can stay closer to the Children’s Hospital.
This is where you come in. As many of you who know Kurt and Lindsay can attest, they are the first to offer help to those in need. Now we have the opportunity to return their generosity and kindness. Many of you have asked how you can get involved and help. The most direct way to help Kurt and Lindsay is to contribute financially to help them pay for medical bills, transportation costs, and temporary housing. With our financial support, Kurt and Lindsay will be able to focus on providing Theo with all the emotional support he deserves. We appreciate how challenging it is to ask for financial assistance during a pandemic, but no donation is too small - it will all help Theo and his family get through this crisis together.
The next few years will be difficult, but Theo has a great deal of support from people like you - thank you <3
Organizer and beneficiary
Ashley Shurick
Organizer
Redwood City, CA
Kurt Papathakis
Beneficiary
