Vanessa's Battle against Aplastic Anemia/PNH

Six years ago our world was turned upside down. Our daughter Vanessa became sick and we soon learned that she had aplastic anemia. It's a rare disease that affects the bone marrow.

We have spent the past six years searching for a bone marrow donor. During this time she has been in and out of the hospital trying different medical treatments to prolong her life while we searched for a bone marrow donor. She goes multiple times during the week for blood and platelets infusions. Over the years this has taken a financial toll on our family. I miss many days of work to take her in for appointments and treatments. 

We are thankful for the latest medical advances, now her sister Marrissa is her bone marrow match through a new medical procedure. Unfortunately, the procedure requires us to stay in Dallas for over 100 days. Insurance does not cover our stay while in Dallas. There is a medical apartment that we can rent at a cheaper rate. I will be taking a leave of absence from my job in order to be her caregiver through the bone marrow transplant process. So we are hoping that we can offset some of the living expenses by doing a fundraiser. We are very grateful for the kindness of others through this difficult time in our lives and look forward to the day we can pay it forward.