Shelby Slaughter

It’s bewildering how your life can change in a minute…. Shelby is vibrant, happy and full of life.  She has a caring and giving nature, the kind of person you want to be friends with.  She has a funny sense of humor is always willing to try new & exciting adventures.  Shelby was just starting her path in life, she was a full-time college student studying to be a Physical Therapist, working to pay for her education and saving for an apartment.   In late November 2018 she was not feeling good, over the next several days she took some over the counter medications, continued to work and attend classes.  Things continued to get worse and one night while at work a customer wondered if she was OK because didn’t look so good, not long after she collapsed and was taken to the emergency room with a fever and headache, she was weak, tired and very pale.  After many tests, the Doctors found her blood counts were critically low, she was severely anemic and had many other mysterious symptoms. She was admitted to the hospital immediately and after a few days of extensive testing, transfusions and a bone marrow biopsy the life changing words were said, "You have cancer - Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)".
In one moment Shelby’s life changed - Cancer at 20!

Shelby’s diagnosis is Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) with sub-category MLL gene alterations, an incredibly aggressive blood cancer, so her treatments had to happen quickly – right away she started a 7-day induction chemotherapy and over the following month she received numerous blood transfusions, blood tests and biopsies.  She was released from the hospital after five long weeks.  After a couple of weeks at home, she went back in the hospital for 5 days of  consolidated chemotherapy.

This is just the beginning to a very long treatment because Shelby needs a bone marrow transplant, a process which will include more chemo, transfusions, biopsies, a long hospital stay with many months of follow up care and treatment.

As a 20-year-old, Shelby’s success rate for remission is very high, and this is very good news.  She has never complained or questioned why this was happening to her.  She has a such a strong character and spirit and has always been a fighter- having two brothers, one older & one younger, she learned early on how to fight!!  We know her fighting spirit and faith will help beat this terrible disease.

Please help us help ease Shelby's mind by contributing to her Go Fund Me so she can concentrate all her efforts on fighting this disease. She needs to stay focused and healthy for her continued and ongoing treatments.

     “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give  you hope and a future”-  Jeremiah 29:11