Help Andrew and his family battle Leukemia

A couple of weeks ago my nephew, Andrew was complaining of legs, shoulders, neck, and chest pain.  He was having trouble breathing and had an on going fever for a week.  My sister took him to the ER.  The medical team did not seem to know the cause of his pain but gave him some aspirin and antibiotics and sent him home.  They even made the comment, “We do not know what we are treating, but here are some antibiotics.”  In the days that followed another trip to the ER was made as well as to his pediatrician office.  They finally decided to draw some blood for testing and sent him home.  The next day my sister was at work when the pediatrician called.  My sister was told that Andrew’s blood test results came back abnormal.  His white blood cells showed to be extremely high and his platelets were low.  The doctor told my sister to take Andrew to Miller’s Children’s Hospital in Long Beach where an Oncology team would be waiting for her.  While at Children’s Hospital my sister was given the worst news imaginable. She was told that her son Andrew has some type of cancer and they didn’t know what type yet.  Andrew was admitted into the hospital and underwent several more tests which included a Lumbar puncture (spinal tap) to test his spinal fluid for leukemia cells. He also had a bone marrow extraction to determine what type of cancer he has.  The pediatric oncologist then came in to talk to my sister.  She explained Andrew has Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), and chemo treatments were started immediately. ALL is the most common type of childhood cancer and, thankfully, has a very good long-term prognosis (95% of children go into remission soon after treatment, and 89% of those children are cured).  All doctors have been optimistic about Andrew’s recovery.  They say they have state-of-the-art diagnosis and treatment to provide patients with the most current and comprehensive medical care and support. 
 
Andrew has a central IV line surgically inserted into his arm which leads to his heart in which medicines will be administered and bloodwork will be drawn for testing.  He has had 5 platelet transfusions along with steroid treatments. He is getting chemo into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to kill any leukemia cells that might have spread to the brain and spinal cord.  This treatment, known as intrathecal chemotherapy, is given through a lumbar puncture (spinal tap).  It is given twice during the 1stmonth and several times during the next 1 or 2 months.    He has been in the hospital for 2 weeks.  The next 6-9 months will be the most difficult.  Andrew will go home but will continue to make frequent trips to the hospital for twice a week chemo treatments and spinal taps.  He will do this for 3 years as an outpatient.  The long road ahead will be challenging. We remain positive and are trusting God to carry us through this difficult time. 
 
Andrew is taking all of this very hard.  The doctors began giving them so much information at once.  The most difficult news to take in, which completely devasted him was when they told him that because his immune system is highly suspectable to infection, he must be kept in isolation of others for the next 9 months.  It means he will not be able to attend school this whole year.  He will be placed on a homeschool program.  Andrew was all set to begin his senior year in 4 days when all of this took place.  He loves school and was looking forward to all that his senior year had to offer.  Andrew was very concerned that he could no longer be a member of the National Honor Society.  We assured him that he worked very hard to get there and they would not be taking this away.
 
Another time Andrew broke down was when his mom told him she would be taking a leave of absence from work so she could be by his side and take care of him throughout this whole ordeal.  He told her that they couldn’t financially afford for her to stay home.  You see, his father was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis a few years ago and eventually became permanently disabled.  Their family income was cut drastically in half when he had to leave his job.  My sister has been the only one working for the past few years.  Andrew did not think it could be an option for her to place work temporarily on hold to stay home with him.  She told him that she was willing to do whatever it took to get him well and that she would not be leaving his side. 
 
This is why I have decided to start a GoFundMe account. It broke my heart that a 17 year old child would have to worry about his family’s finances when he is already going through a very trying time.  Life and work has been put on hold and many changes are having to be made.  The earth shattering news of your own child being diagnosed with cancer is a difficult one to bare.  I don’t want my sister to have to also experience financial stress.  She is already facing so much hardship.  This circumstance came rushing into their lives without warning.  My goal is to help support my sister and her family with their upcoming medical expenses and to ease the financial burden in whatever way possible.  As you may know even insured families incur a lot of additional expenses when a child has a long term illness (medical treatment, doctor co-pays, lost wages due to hospital stays and doctor visits, etc.) All funds will go directly to medical bills and living expenses.
 
While it may be a long, exhausting road to recovery, let’s show my sister and her family that they are not fighting this war alone.  Whether it’s by sharing this post with your friends, sending your thoughts and prayers, or sending in donations, let’s shower them with our love in the hopes of making this journey a little more bearable.  Any contribution, however small, would all add up and make a big difference.  Every prayer, every kind word, and every penny are appreciated. 
 
Prayers for my sister, brother-in-law, Andrew, and rest of the family that God continues to give them strength and unconditionally patience through all of this.  Thank you so much for your consideration, generosity, and your continued prayers. 
 
With upmost gratitude,
Irena