Help Connor fight cancer

Connor Henzel is a 17-year-old Vermont resident who recently graduated from High School and has been preparing to attend The University of Vermont in just a few weeks. During school he has been active in sports and theater and involved with community events. Connor’s interests at school focus on environmental science & Chinese language and its culture. Everything changed three weeks ago when he was  visiting his brothers in Northern Virginia, he started feeling poorly and ended up in the emergency room and transferred immediately to the hospital. There he was diagnosed with acute leukemia. His prognosis is positive, but his road to recovery is a long one. This is a life altering event for him. To further complicate his situation he was far from home when he became ill.

Connor’s specific diagnosis is Pre-Type B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia also known as ALL. It is a blood borne cancer that requires long term treatment and has multiple life changing complications that will follow him for the rest of his life.  
We are fortunate that it was caught early, and he has been responding well to treatment. Unfortunately, this type of cancer is long lasting and Connor will undergo treatment for a minimum of the next three and half years.  

This is where we turn to our friends and family to help us in this difficult time. On the road to recovery Connor will face many challenges and his family will need support to see him through. His health insurance will cover most of the costs, but the family will have medical expenses that  far exceed deductibles and co-pays for many years to come.

For the past several weeks Connor has been receiving treatment in at INOVA Children’s Hospital in Fairfax Virginia. He has transitioned to   outpatient treatment and currently staying with his two older brothers in  the Fairfax area. He is geographically separated from the rest of his  family due to due to the effects of chemotherapy compromising his  immune system. In addition, complications from chemo induced diabetes type 1 further complicating his situation.

These conditions have restricted his day to day life and will remain this way until therapy has pushed his cancer into remission. Soon, Connor  will travel home to Vermont to continue treatment at the University of Vermont Medical Center.

We are slowly accepting that, even when Connor makes a full recovery, his life will never be the same. Yet, we all remain optimistic and grateful for the incredible care and support we have received from family,  friends, doctors and nurses. It is a reminder for us not to take a single moment in life for granted.

Your donations will go towards:

- Food
- Insulin 
- Insurance bills
- Transportation

Please consider supporting Connor now and helping his family to cover these increased travel and medical expenses. We are grateful for any    amount you can share.

Thank you!