A Very Marrow Christmas for Josh Laliberte
Donation protected
On July 29, 2017 my brother Joshua and his wife Britany got married. It was such a happy time for them, a day they still consider “the best wedding ever!” (they’re not biased at all!) To celebrate their 1 year anniversary they had planned a cruise, their favorite way to travel. God however, had other plans. Josh had some pretty serious bruising on his body and bleeding in his mouth and went to the doctor on July 9. That same evening he received the worst call possible from his doctor, he told him to go to the Cancer Center as soon as possible. On July 10, 2018 he was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.
From the moment he was diagnosed until the end of July, Josh didn’t leave the hospital. He spent the full month in an isolated unit at the hospital receiving intensive Chemotherapy. Josh has had the most positive attitude throughout all of this. He has not once complained or asked why me? Instead he has taken this all in stride and kept an upbeat attitude, truly choosing laughter as the best medicine and relying heavily on his faith.
He is currently in remission, but his Leukemia would return, so he has had monthly chemotherapy and weekly trips back and forth to the hospital for blood and platelet transfusions until he could receive a stem cell transplant. This is the only cure for him.
We are so happy to say that I am a 100% HLA match for Josh! This means I can give him my stem cells. This early Christmas gift will allow Josh a fresh new start in the brand new year. I have begun to receive injections to increase the number of blood stem cells in my bloodstream. These cells will be collected from me Wednesday, December 5 and transplanted into Josh following. They will replace his bone marrow. Josh was admitted back into the hospital last week on November 28th to prep his body for the transplant. This involves a very intensive round of chemotherapy. After the transplant he will spend the full month of December into January in the hospital followed by two or three months more in a sterile environment. This all requires time, care, and lots of trips to the hospital. Josh will need to go to the hospital 2/3 times a week for blood work, bone biopsies, and updated medication. He is also required to have 24/7 supervision, in the event that something goes wrong, medical emergency or otherwise. This role can be filled by family. That mostly comes down to Britany, who will have to be out of work during this time.
Being a great patient has been Josh’s full time job since being diagnosed. He has been unable to work and it is unknown when he will be fully recovered to be able to return to work. Britany will also soon be out of work to care for him full time, therefore the financial burden of this all is great. The combination of no income and medical bills piling up is very stressful. They are truly living their vows “in sickness and in health”. We are asking friends, family, and anyone that wants to support them for donations to provide the gift of less financial stress for the new year. If you are unable to donate, we simply ask for your prayers and positive vibes for Josh. If possible, please share this page with your friends and family.
Thank you!
Ashley, Josh’s sister & donor
P.S. Josh has always been a real tech guy, so we are going to try to share some updates on here including my collection and his transplant (per his request). Stay tuned to follow along.
From the moment he was diagnosed until the end of July, Josh didn’t leave the hospital. He spent the full month in an isolated unit at the hospital receiving intensive Chemotherapy. Josh has had the most positive attitude throughout all of this. He has not once complained or asked why me? Instead he has taken this all in stride and kept an upbeat attitude, truly choosing laughter as the best medicine and relying heavily on his faith.
He is currently in remission, but his Leukemia would return, so he has had monthly chemotherapy and weekly trips back and forth to the hospital for blood and platelet transfusions until he could receive a stem cell transplant. This is the only cure for him.
We are so happy to say that I am a 100% HLA match for Josh! This means I can give him my stem cells. This early Christmas gift will allow Josh a fresh new start in the brand new year. I have begun to receive injections to increase the number of blood stem cells in my bloodstream. These cells will be collected from me Wednesday, December 5 and transplanted into Josh following. They will replace his bone marrow. Josh was admitted back into the hospital last week on November 28th to prep his body for the transplant. This involves a very intensive round of chemotherapy. After the transplant he will spend the full month of December into January in the hospital followed by two or three months more in a sterile environment. This all requires time, care, and lots of trips to the hospital. Josh will need to go to the hospital 2/3 times a week for blood work, bone biopsies, and updated medication. He is also required to have 24/7 supervision, in the event that something goes wrong, medical emergency or otherwise. This role can be filled by family. That mostly comes down to Britany, who will have to be out of work during this time.
Being a great patient has been Josh’s full time job since being diagnosed. He has been unable to work and it is unknown when he will be fully recovered to be able to return to work. Britany will also soon be out of work to care for him full time, therefore the financial burden of this all is great. The combination of no income and medical bills piling up is very stressful. They are truly living their vows “in sickness and in health”. We are asking friends, family, and anyone that wants to support them for donations to provide the gift of less financial stress for the new year. If you are unable to donate, we simply ask for your prayers and positive vibes for Josh. If possible, please share this page with your friends and family.
Thank you!
Ashley, Josh’s sister & donor
P.S. Josh has always been a real tech guy, so we are going to try to share some updates on here including my collection and his transplant (per his request). Stay tuned to follow along.
Organizer and beneficiary
Ashley Laliberte
Organizer
Southbridge, MA
Joshua Laliberte
Beneficiary
