Dustan Burgard and Family

Friends and Family…

We have some unfortunate news about our beloved Dustan Burgard! In June Dustan noticed a lump in his groin. Dr. said to just keep an eye on it. Fast forward to his physical in August, when his blood work was off, and the lump remained his doctor requested an ultrasound to confirm if the lump was a lymph node or a fatty lymphoma. The ultrasound confirmed it was swollen lymph nodes. Additional blood work, CT scan and biopsy were ordered. October 6th, he had a biopsy which confirmed the lymph node was from a lymphoma but didn’t have a sub-type yet. Tissue was sent to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester MN. for additional testing. October 25th Dustan and Alisa met with Dr. Conklin; he said Mayo was still trying to determine sub-type. October 26th, he had a bone marrow biopsy in Aberdeen and an appointment was set up for October 31st at Mayo. The Burgards thought they would just be going in for a few appts and would be home by Friday. By the end of the day, he had been admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of Blastic Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Neoplasm (BPDCN), which is a rare and aggressive hematologic malignancy of the bone marrow and blood that can affect other organs such as the lymph nodes, spleen, central nervous system, and skin. It is a rare form of leukemia that less than 1000 people a year get. This will require at least 6-8 months of immunotherapy, chemo and hopefully once in remission a stem cell transplant. Unfortunately, none of this can be done in Aberdeen or Sioux Falls, Dustan will have to stay at Mayo. During this time Dustan will not be able to work as his immune system will be extremely depleted. We are needing prayer warriors!

Dustan and Alisa have two children, Alivia (18) and Bryson (14). They are heavily involved in their lives and share a special bond. They also have two fur babies, Kona a German Shepard, and Bruno a Shiz-Tzu. The entire family is involved in the community and enjoy spending time with friends and family.

With Dustan missing work, medical and travel costs for the family are quickly mounting. We are asking for help for this amazing family!