Help Joshua Find Comfort and Care in Hospice
Donation protected
June 2024 update:
As many of you know, Joshua was diagnosed with T-ALL (T-cell acute lymphoblastic/lymphocytic leukemia in May 2022. Over the last two years, he's fought through many grueling treatments, including numerous rounds of chemo, handfuls of pills a day, dozens of bone marrow biopsies, apharesis, a stem cell transplant, and more. If you caught Tessa's last update on this GoFundMe, you already know that the transplant wasn't successful, and a few weeks ago, Joshua made the brave decision alongside his doctors to enter hospice care. We're updating the name of this GoFundMe to reflect where Joshua is on this journey.
As devastating as this is, we're thankful for a lot. We got an extra two years to spend with him, we've been overwhelmed by the swell of support he has received from the community during that time. Because of your help over the last year since we started this GoFundMe, Joshua has been able to keep some (but not all) of his medical bills from going to collections. (Side note: One of his medications is $18k out of pocket every 2 weeks! I feel like medical price gouging should be illegal, but I digress.) Thanks to your contributions over the last few weeks, our parents now have enough money set aside to cover cremation and funeral costs, giving them the breathing room they need as his primary caretakers to focus on making Joshua's remaining time as restful as possible.
We're both scared and grateful that he will get to go through hospice and end his journey at home with our family.
If you'd like to help, here are a few things you can do:
- Send Joshua a note of support. He has been so comforted by all of the notes, audio clips, and letters he has received in the last few weeks in particular. You can reach out to me, Tessa, or our mom, Donna, if you don't have Josh's contact info and we'll pass it on to him. Please just make sure your note is in an accessible format since he is now blind due to transplant and type 1 diabetes complications.
- Sign up to donate blood, plasma, or stem cells through the American Red Cross or joining the bone marrow registry through Be The Match. Stem cell transplants in particular are tough to match - not one of Josh's 4 siblings, myself included, was a match for him, and we're grateful to the anonymous donor that provided his stem cell transplants for giving him a chance, even if it didn't turn out the way we'd hoped.
- While Medicaid covers many hospice services, it doesn't cover all of them. If you can, consider making a contribution to help our parents take care of Josh's medical bills and provide him with the best possible care during this time.
- Consider sharing this GoFundMe on social media to get the word out. My sister Tessa has lots of flyers on her Instagram page that she and her community have created to make sharing easy.
Thank you again for the support and generosity you've shown over the last two years, and for the support you continue to show as we hunker down for this last part of Josh's journey. It means the world to our family.
With love and appreciation,
Emily (on behalf of the family)
------------------
How this GoFundMe started back in May 2023:
Hi, we’re Emily, David, Tessa, and Anna, fundraising medical funds on behalf of our brother, Joshua, who was diagnosed in May 2022 with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (also called T-cell acute leukocytic leukemia, or T-ALL). Before Josh’s diagnosis, we had never heard of T-ALL, but we’ve since learned that it is an aggressive type of leukemia that affects the bone marrow. Since his diagnosis, he’s undergone intensive chemo, received cocktails of supportive drugs and platelet infusions, and most recently, a recieved bone marrow (stem cell) transplant - all while managing his Type 1 diabetes.
How you can help
- If you can support Joshua with a monetary contribution, all funds will go directly to Joshua. They will help him with medical expenses and loss of income as his treatment is ongoing. GoFundMe tip: You’ll see a “tip” slider bar when you donate. Please slide this bar to $0 to ensure Josh gets the full donation rather than sending a tip to GoFundMe.
- If you can’t support him financially, please share and amplify Joshua’s story on your social networks and via word of mouth. You can use this page’s URL to share or hit the “Share” button to share directly on your social networks.
- Subscribe for updates on this page to stay in the loop with Joshua’s progress.
- Consider becoming a blood donor through the American Red Cross or joining the bone marrow registry through Be The Match.
Thank you for your time, thoughts, and support during this scary and difficult journey. Joshua is so loved, and we’re proud to support him while he fights this battle.
Co-organizers (3)
Emily Hazzard
Organizer
Countryside West, VA
Donna Hazzard
Beneficiary
Tessa Hazzard
Co-organizer