Raising Funds for Michaels Multiple Myeloma Cancer

Our Dad, Michael, has been battling Multiple Myeloma cancer for the last two and a half years. Multiple Myeloma is a blood cancer that fundamentally compromises the immune system, steals the body's strength, and most damagingly deteriorates the bones, leaving the person often unable to perform life's daily tasks. This disease brings numerous burdens to the individual and the family members that care for them. The burden of finding specialized available medical care, dealing with overwhelming financial hardship and struggles faced to maintain employment through long hospital stays, frequent doctor visits and/or living through the effects of the disease, are daunting. These are only a few ways that this cancer slowly takes away normal life opportunities.

To date, the cost of Dad's medical care will surpass $2.5 million in total. Our dad's current diagnosis of Stage 3 MM cancer has indicated that while all major organs are still healthy and not yet affected, the majority of his bone composition is entirely compromised. His ability to work, provide for himself, his home, and his family now ranges from limited to none at all. Due to the frequency of doctors' appointments, inpatient/outpatient hospital stays, and overall cancer/treatment symptoms/side effects, the financial struggle to meet daily living and medical needs is a reality our parents face. At this current rate medical expenses exceed every other expense in their life.

We have started this "Go Fund Me" in hopes of acquiring donations to assist with previous and current medical expenses and daily living costs for our parents. These donations will help ease the ongoing financial load our parents are experiencing while Dad is unable to work and undergoing the next set of treatments. Dad's battle has consisted of two neck surgeries due to the original blastoma site, nine months of weekly chemo, a five-week stem cell transplant, six months of monthly chemo and a total of twenty-five rounds of radiation for bone lesions. Currently, he is completing week three out of four of specialized chemo treatment while inpatient in preparation for Cart T cell therapy. His Multiple Myeloma care team and treatment facility are at UAMS Medical Center in Arkansas. This out-of-state treatment location adds additional travel and lodging expenses as well as the time our mom must take off from work while staying in the hospital with him. His next treatment outlook with Cart T cell therapy will be a minimum of 12 weeks including his recovery time. The quote "It takes a village” has never held a truer value than it does for us right now.

Thank you so much for any support you can offer, and for donating what you can, it truly does mean the world to our family.

Always,

The Clere girls.