Gary's Fight Against Leukemia

Gary had been feeling under the weather for several weeks. He knew something wasn’t quite right. On Wednesday, April 19th, he finally went to see the doctor. They checked him out, ran some tests, drew some labs and on his way he went. Gary went to work Thursday morning like any normal day. He had only been there a couple of hours, still pushing through pain and sickness, when he and his wife, Renee, received the phone call that no one wants to receive. “Your labs are back and we need you to go to the Emergency Room for further testing.” What a shock! They went by the doctor’s office to pick up the lab work and speak with him before heading to Murfreesboro where Gary’s fight began.

More labs… Waiting… Wondering… And then, the doctor came in to tell them Gary was being admitted and would receive 2 or 3 units of blood that evening due to his extremely low levels. At around 5pm, they hung the first unit of blood. They explained to Gary that he would be scheduled for a bone marrow biopsy the next morning. Within a 24-hour time period, he went from working to a bone marrow biopsy. It seemed like forever as they waited on answers. It could be this, or maybe this, or this may be a possibility. Finally, around 2pm on Saturday afternoon, they were given the news that Gary had Leukemia.

On Sunday evening, Gary was transferred to St. Thomas Midtown where he would meet his oncologist and the team that would be taking care of him. Monday morning was full of information. All cultures were back, and Gary was given the official diagnosis of B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. This cancer is aggressive and therefore requires very aggressive treatment. The current plan is 5 days of inpatient chemo and then possible discharge home. He will then go back and forth to Nashville two days a week for outpatient treatment. He was told there would be significant side effects; he is going to be very sick with a very weak immune system. Obviously, we don’t know all the details. We are unsure of all the timing, but what we do know is that in the blink of an eye, their world has forever changed. Their story took a different direction, and they are in the midst of a fight they never knew was coming.

Despite all of this, Gary and Renee remain positive and have smiles on their faces as they navigate this new territory. Their kids, Andrew and Abby, are staying strong and positive for their dad, too. This family is fighting Leukemia with all they have, and we hope that you will help them fight too! Gary and Renee are not the type to ask for help, but we all know this journey will significantly impact their financial situation. Any donations would be a blessing to their family. If you are unable to donate, your prayers, love and support will be truly appreciated. Thank you all for joining them in their FIGHT!