Dear Friends,

As some of you know, in early September 2018 I was diagnosed with large B cell diffused non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. I immediately began chemotherapy at Sibley; followed by a new experimental protocol at NIH. After 10 months the lymphoma was no longer evident!

 
However, in early November the lymphoma returned. This week I was accepted into the University of Maryland Medical Center Baltimore’s (UMMB) “CAR-T” (we call it “Carty B”) genetic mutation immunotherapy; a new cancer treatment protocol recently approved by the FDA.  This new treatment protocol is approximately 5-6 weeks long.

This week my blood is collected and will be returned to me in early January. I will then be hospitalized at UMMB for between 8-13 days, followed by approximately 3 weeks of out-of-hospital close scrutiny.

Please take a moment and learn about this new treatment! https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/17726-car-t-cell-therapy/risks--benefits?view=print. 

I am serving families for December but I am taking off most of January: with the exception of two families who are having their babies the end of January; I have hired seasoned midwives to back me up and assist/accompany me and do prenatal visits for me.

 
                                                         But I Need Your Help

Since my treatments are in Baltimore I need drivers and chaperones - I am required to have an adult accompany me to all my visits. This means picking me up, waiting with me for about four hours and driving me  back.

 I need a roadie!! I will not be driving alone for 60 days so I will need rides to prenatal and postpartum visits.

 
Help fund the incidental costs of my care and my family costs while I am not working, especially feeding Azulai. Luckily my insurances will cover practically all of my medical costs except for co-pays and deductibles. But I need help with the incidental costs associated with the hospital stay and travel such as parking, gasoline, meals, supplies, hotel accommodations. 

 I am planning on spending the first 5-7 days after hospital release in a local Baltimore hotel, “just in case” before returning home. I am looking into patient discount rates at hotels but this will still be a sizable expense.
           
                                                                                                        
Take care of my daughter! Azulai will remain in Washington, DC while I am in Baltimore; she is a non-driver and has limited cooking skills. You can imagine how frightened she will be.  Check on her! Call her or E-mail her please.

Cook and drop off meals for her; we have a 24-hour concierge.  Or, better yet, fund meals for her and our family by contributing to our meal account at Galley Foods;    www.galleyfoods.com. My account is under Claudia Booker and my personal e-mail [email redacted].

                                               THIS IS NOT MY LAST RODEO!

I am not retiring; I am just taking time to heal and, with your help, l can return to my pregnant and birthing families full time by mid-February. 

~ CLAUDIA