Jeff's Leukemia Fund
Donation protected
Rusty's younger brother Jeff Kilkenny who lives in Anchorage, AK was diagnosed with a rare hybrid form of Leukemia (ALL/AML) on April 10th of this year. He has been undergoing intensive chemotherapy in Seattle, Washington which is over 2,000 miles from his wife and minor child. His wife Ruby is a very hard worker who works two jobs one at Fred Myers and one at McDonalds, her job at Fred Myers provides the critical health insurance for Jeff and their family. She is a great mom and loving wife of almost 26 years. Jeff has three children the youngest who just turned 16, the middle son who is serving our country as a corporal in the United States Marine Corps and his oldest daughter who works at Fred Myers in Anchorage. The family is very close and they depended on each other to get by and they are as one would expect, lost without Jeff.
Jeff has at least 4-5 months of treatment remaining. The remaining treatment consists of recovering in the hospital from the current round of chemotherapy and then a two week rest before starting another intensive round of chemotherapy. Then after recovering from the second round of chemotherapy he has to start a 3-4 month stem cell transfusion where he has to remain within 30 minutes of the University Washington Medical Center. Similar to his current and future recovery from the two rounds of chemotherapy, this recovery and stem cell transfusion is a very critical and risky part of his treatment. He needs to have a caretaker full time and needs to find suitable housing safe from visitors (bacteria, virus or fungus) because infection of any kind could kill him. The caretaker has to attend training and cannot leave Jeff unattended for more than 2-3 hours at a time.
All of this treatment now and in the future is extremely expensive and we are grateful that Ruby's insurance pays for most of it... It doesn't pay for any lodging, transportation and miscellaneous expenses of having a caregiver now or for the second round of outpatient chemotherapy. However, during the stem cell transplant it covers $100/ night but most safe lodging choices within the 30 minute radius of the hospital are above that. There is also a $4,000 out of pocket charge by the insurance company he has to pay. The family has very few assets and is now short the money from the major bread winner to pay continuing bills at home and here in Seattle.
We are asking for help from anyone who is willing to help. We have personally spent over $6,000 in airlines, hotel costs, gas and other expenses since he entered the hospital on April 12th and that doesn't include the expenses Jeff has incurred traveling to Seattle and being evaluated.
This message was not written lightly and it is with the greatest humility I ask on behalf of my brother's family for this help.
We hope to raise $15,000 and while that will not cover what is needed, it gives them some breathing room and a chance to worry only about healing over the next five months of treatments and not of the financial burden that currently weighs on them. It also assures Jeff someone will be by his side for the duration of the fight for his life.
Thank you in advance for your consideration and help.
Written on behalf of Jeff Killkenny and his family. ❤
Jeff has at least 4-5 months of treatment remaining. The remaining treatment consists of recovering in the hospital from the current round of chemotherapy and then a two week rest before starting another intensive round of chemotherapy. Then after recovering from the second round of chemotherapy he has to start a 3-4 month stem cell transfusion where he has to remain within 30 minutes of the University Washington Medical Center. Similar to his current and future recovery from the two rounds of chemotherapy, this recovery and stem cell transfusion is a very critical and risky part of his treatment. He needs to have a caretaker full time and needs to find suitable housing safe from visitors (bacteria, virus or fungus) because infection of any kind could kill him. The caretaker has to attend training and cannot leave Jeff unattended for more than 2-3 hours at a time.
All of this treatment now and in the future is extremely expensive and we are grateful that Ruby's insurance pays for most of it... It doesn't pay for any lodging, transportation and miscellaneous expenses of having a caregiver now or for the second round of outpatient chemotherapy. However, during the stem cell transplant it covers $100/ night but most safe lodging choices within the 30 minute radius of the hospital are above that. There is also a $4,000 out of pocket charge by the insurance company he has to pay. The family has very few assets and is now short the money from the major bread winner to pay continuing bills at home and here in Seattle.
We are asking for help from anyone who is willing to help. We have personally spent over $6,000 in airlines, hotel costs, gas and other expenses since he entered the hospital on April 12th and that doesn't include the expenses Jeff has incurred traveling to Seattle and being evaluated.
This message was not written lightly and it is with the greatest humility I ask on behalf of my brother's family for this help.
We hope to raise $15,000 and while that will not cover what is needed, it gives them some breathing room and a chance to worry only about healing over the next five months of treatments and not of the financial burden that currently weighs on them. It also assures Jeff someone will be by his side for the duration of the fight for his life.
Thank you in advance for your consideration and help.
Written on behalf of Jeff Killkenny and his family. ❤
Organizer
Melissa Fujimoto-Kilkenny
Organizer
Verdi, NV
