Tim Olson - Stem Cell Transplant
Donation protected
Background: I was first diagnosed with leukemia in September 2012. At that time, I had 5 months of chemotherapy to put it into remission. The remission lasted until January 2016, at which time I started on an oral chemotherapy drug that kept it at bay with few side effects until February 2018. I was diagnosed with Richter's Syndrome, which means that the relatively mild leukemia transformed into a very aggressive lymphoma.
Treatment: I have been treated with a protocol called R-EPOC since February. The good news is this has been working well at putting the lymphoma into remission. The not so good news is I am hospitalized for 5 days every 3 weeks for the treatment; and the remission will not last very long, with no other options to regain remission when it fails.
The only long term potential for a cure is to do a stem cell transplant. With this, they will do a much more aggressive chemo/radiation combo to knock my immune system down, then transplant stem cells from my son into me to rebuild a new immune system and cure the disease. I will have almost no infection fighting ability for a time, with a several month recovery period before I will be able to move back home.
The Need: I have been unable to work since February and will be unable to resume until October at the earliest. To cover my out of pocket medical expenses and the income gap to cover household expenses is about $4000 per month.
We have been able to make do with savings and some gifts from friends and relatives so far, but our savings is empty; hence this appeal. If you are able to help, any amount is greatly appreciated.
If you are not following my Caringbridge site for regular updates, you may at www.caringbridge.org/visit/timolson. I post updates there as my treatment progresses.
Thank you for your consideration and thoughtfulness. When you go to make a donation GoFundMe will automatically include a suggested tip amount to help them cover their costs. You can adjust the percentage or amount and there is no requirement to include any tip.
Tim
Treatment: I have been treated with a protocol called R-EPOC since February. The good news is this has been working well at putting the lymphoma into remission. The not so good news is I am hospitalized for 5 days every 3 weeks for the treatment; and the remission will not last very long, with no other options to regain remission when it fails.
The only long term potential for a cure is to do a stem cell transplant. With this, they will do a much more aggressive chemo/radiation combo to knock my immune system down, then transplant stem cells from my son into me to rebuild a new immune system and cure the disease. I will have almost no infection fighting ability for a time, with a several month recovery period before I will be able to move back home.
The Need: I have been unable to work since February and will be unable to resume until October at the earliest. To cover my out of pocket medical expenses and the income gap to cover household expenses is about $4000 per month.
We have been able to make do with savings and some gifts from friends and relatives so far, but our savings is empty; hence this appeal. If you are able to help, any amount is greatly appreciated.
If you are not following my Caringbridge site for regular updates, you may at www.caringbridge.org/visit/timolson. I post updates there as my treatment progresses.
Thank you for your consideration and thoughtfulness. When you go to make a donation GoFundMe will automatically include a suggested tip amount to help them cover their costs. You can adjust the percentage or amount and there is no requirement to include any tip.
Tim
Organizer
Tim Olson
Organizer
Mount Prospect, IL