Evan kick leukemia in the butt!

Hi, for those who don’t know my name is Haylie. I have a little brother named Evan, and he is one of my favorite humans to ever exist. We’ve been through what feels like hell & back together, and he’s fought really hard to be here today. Since November he has been struggling with various medical issues & chronic pain. I’ve watched him advocate so hard for himself, with little done on the other side of the phone. But he kept pushing & trusted his intuition.

This last Wednesday he received a scary phone call about some blood work that came back. His white blood cells were alarmingly elevated, which typically points to leukemia. With only 15 minutes to make our phone calls & try to process this possibility, we rushed him to the ER. From there he was transferred to a bed in the oncology floor where he underwent a bone marrow biopsy, a spinal tap, numerous scans, ultrasounds, and MRI’s.

It wasn’t until Friday morning that we finally received his official diagnosis. Chronic Myeloid Leukemia. We have a treatment, a plan of action, and good odds. But for Ev life looks different now. While he starts his TKI treatment his immune system will be even more compromised than it was. He’s been out of work for a few weeks & we’re not sure how much longer he will need.

In doing this I want to create not only a fund for what he racked up in the hospital, but hopefully provide him with some cushion financially so that his focus can be on healing, and coming to terms with his new normal. This is just the beginning of his journey & I just want to do whatever I can to help with the financial burdens.

Evan is kind, funny, smart, and one of the most loving people I’ve had the privilege of knowing. None of this feels fair, or real. At 23 I hate that he’s been handed something so life altering & scary. He deserves peace, rest, and most of all, security in the face of the unknown. To know him is to love him. I have never been more terrified than I was when the possibility of living without him, felt like a reality. All that matters now is fighting to keep him healthy & safe.

Anything helps. Even if all you can do is share this with your friends and family. Or maybe all you have to offer is your love, your prayers, or your good energy and thoughts. We’re taking whatever we can get to help our boy through the most difficult thing he’s tackled to date.

A thank you in advance for any support & shares. My heart would not be the same had it not been touched by his. I love you Ev, in this life & the next. We got this!