William Lofgren Stypa Fund
Donation protected
Last April, my cousin’s youngest son, William, was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). It’s the rarer form of childhood Leukemia that around 15-20% get with a poorer prognosis than the more common Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) and requires children to undergo the toughest cancer treatment possible.
William’s mom and dad were with him every single day and night at the hospital helping him to get through the chemotherapy, transfusions, antibiotics, CT scans, MRIs, X-rays, ultrasounds, operations and biopsies, not to mention battling life-threatening infections. His older brother visited every chance he got. Their family stuck together through thick and thin living out of plastic bags hastily stuffed with laundry from home.
Due to the intensity of AML treatment that destroys the immune system, children like William are in the hospital for longer periods of time fighting serious infections. Their family spent most days as well as weekends and holidays in their hospital room together doing whatever they could to keep William in good spirits. The hospital was their new home and there was no way his parents could work. It was a daily fight between hope and despair as they learned the complexities of cancer.
After the initial treatment was finished last fall, William was finally home. But that didn’t mean an end to rushing him to the hospital at all possible hours whenever he got a fever. William’s body was still very weak and he would be susceptible to infections for many months to come. In addition to multiple weekly hospital visits and a demanding post-treatment medication schedule, the family spent all their time helping William to rehabilitate with physical therapy and swimming. They took every chance they could to play with him, take him on a walk or go on a little car trip together.
By October 2017, it felt their family had finally started living again. How much energy and hope they had. William’s dad had started working part-time again. William had even gotten a few days in at pre-school. His hair had finally come back, his walking had improved and he seemed stronger and was so happy to be home. But come late January of this year, William’s cancer returned.
The prognosis for relapsed AML is very poor and the only hope to cure the patient is by getting new bone marrow through a stem cell transplant. Unfortunately, the leukemia could not be put into remission. William was however still in relatively good health and his brother was a match for the transplant. After 3 more rounds of chemo, the family was told it would be risky but that there was a realistic enough chance the transplant could still work. William’s older brother made the most selfless and loving sacrifice for his little brother, was put to sleep and gave his bone marrow.
Unfortunately, despite the family navigating an incredibly tough pre- and post-transplant period, William’s cancer came right back. The last few weeks were especially painful for him. He passed away on June 16, 2018, only 4 and a half years old. After all the fighting, after all his bravery, being told he had handled the treatment and transplant particularly well….so unfair. He was just a kid looking to get back to life, to play and be with his beloved big brother. There are no words.
I know William’s parents took pride in being able to take care of the family on their own even if it meant some tough adjustments. It wasn’t that they didn’t acknowledge that they could use financial help, rather that they felt people were already giving as much love, support, toys, food and prayers to William and their family as possible and that’s all they could ever ask for. They felt the rest was their duty.
But as his cousin, I also know that the family has spent thousands on gas on daily rides to hospitals near and far over the last year and a half, not to mention exorbitant amounts on parking. I know they spent hundreds, if not more, at Toys R Us and in the AppStore buying William toys and iPad games: it’s all William could do for so long and a huge source of happiness for him. I also know how much the funeral will cost as will seeking professional counseling for their family. And I know that their saving grace, William’s older brother, is their main focus now and that they need to start putting all their resources and time into him.
William’s mom and dad were with him every single day and night at the hospital helping him to get through the chemotherapy, transfusions, antibiotics, CT scans, MRIs, X-rays, ultrasounds, operations and biopsies, not to mention battling life-threatening infections. His older brother visited every chance he got. Their family stuck together through thick and thin living out of plastic bags hastily stuffed with laundry from home.
Due to the intensity of AML treatment that destroys the immune system, children like William are in the hospital for longer periods of time fighting serious infections. Their family spent most days as well as weekends and holidays in their hospital room together doing whatever they could to keep William in good spirits. The hospital was their new home and there was no way his parents could work. It was a daily fight between hope and despair as they learned the complexities of cancer.
After the initial treatment was finished last fall, William was finally home. But that didn’t mean an end to rushing him to the hospital at all possible hours whenever he got a fever. William’s body was still very weak and he would be susceptible to infections for many months to come. In addition to multiple weekly hospital visits and a demanding post-treatment medication schedule, the family spent all their time helping William to rehabilitate with physical therapy and swimming. They took every chance they could to play with him, take him on a walk or go on a little car trip together.
By October 2017, it felt their family had finally started living again. How much energy and hope they had. William’s dad had started working part-time again. William had even gotten a few days in at pre-school. His hair had finally come back, his walking had improved and he seemed stronger and was so happy to be home. But come late January of this year, William’s cancer returned.
The prognosis for relapsed AML is very poor and the only hope to cure the patient is by getting new bone marrow through a stem cell transplant. Unfortunately, the leukemia could not be put into remission. William was however still in relatively good health and his brother was a match for the transplant. After 3 more rounds of chemo, the family was told it would be risky but that there was a realistic enough chance the transplant could still work. William’s older brother made the most selfless and loving sacrifice for his little brother, was put to sleep and gave his bone marrow.
Unfortunately, despite the family navigating an incredibly tough pre- and post-transplant period, William’s cancer came right back. The last few weeks were especially painful for him. He passed away on June 16, 2018, only 4 and a half years old. After all the fighting, after all his bravery, being told he had handled the treatment and transplant particularly well….so unfair. He was just a kid looking to get back to life, to play and be with his beloved big brother. There are no words.
I know William’s parents took pride in being able to take care of the family on their own even if it meant some tough adjustments. It wasn’t that they didn’t acknowledge that they could use financial help, rather that they felt people were already giving as much love, support, toys, food and prayers to William and their family as possible and that’s all they could ever ask for. They felt the rest was their duty.
But as his cousin, I also know that the family has spent thousands on gas on daily rides to hospitals near and far over the last year and a half, not to mention exorbitant amounts on parking. I know they spent hundreds, if not more, at Toys R Us and in the AppStore buying William toys and iPad games: it’s all William could do for so long and a huge source of happiness for him. I also know how much the funeral will cost as will seeking professional counseling for their family. And I know that their saving grace, William’s older brother, is their main focus now and that they need to start putting all their resources and time into him.
Organizer and beneficiary
Marcia DiNorscio
Organizer
Mountainside, NJ
Michael Stypa
Beneficiary