When Blood Goes Bad

Hello, my name is Leah, and I am fundraising for my sister Sarah. In April of 2022, Sarah was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. My first reaction to the news was anger. Why her? Sarah is a single mom to three rambunctious kiddos, and has risen through the ranks of HEB and recently became the grocery manager at her own store. Sarah has been so strong raising these kids; why throw another challenge her way when she has more than earned a break?

But soon after, the anger faded, and I was overcome with faith. Faith in God and faith in my sister. She has been blessed with strength before, and I know that God is blessing her with strength now. Throughout April and May, Sarah spent many weeks in the hospital as the doctors and nurses began treatment. I was there when Sarah shaved her head, and though I was fully ready to buzz my own, Sarah was adamant that nobody else would lose their hair. So rather than mourn the loss of her hair, Sarah dove into the world of wigs headfirst. Her fashion sense is even more elevated now, as she can coordinate her hair with her outfits. In June, Sarah returned home to her kids after six weeks without them. Tony, Rosemary, and Emmy are all ecstatic to have their mom back. Sarah and Rosemary began making resin jewelry and keychains; Sarah is encouraging Tony in is his LEGO builds, and Emmy just wants to model all of his costumes for his favorite person.

After the diagnosis, me and my siblings, Bekah and David, all were tested to see if we were potential donors for Sarah's stem cell transplant. Unfortunately, none of us were full matches, nor were there any full matches on the donor registry list. Though all of us siblings were half-matches, and could donate, the doctors ultimately decided to find a half-match from the registry list.

At the end of July, Sarah will receive her stem cell transplant, and will return to the hospital for a 4-6 week stay. All of us siblings will spend time afterwards to care for her, and our parents, with their infinite patience and love, will continue to care for the kids.

We decided to start a GoFundMe after so many generous people reached out asking how they can help. If you can't give, we encourage everyone to consider signing up for the Bone Marrow Registry, at BeTheMatch.org. Only 30% of patients can find a fully matched donor within their family, and so many patients, like Sarah, must rely on the Bone Marrow Registry.

I have always said that Sarah is the strongest person I know, and she continues to set that example for me. If you can help us lessen the load, it would mean the world to our family. God bless!