Help Danielle survive leukemia!

08/5/23 update:

Dana passed away at 5:30 this am. She had a brain bleed yesterday and went peacefully without waking back up .we will be setting up a refund for all donations and appreciate the support she received.

07/12/23 update:

Update:

It is the longest 3 or 4 days I have spent in the hospital. It will be 3 weeks on Friday.

I have had Pneumonia, a terrible skin rash, two skin biopsies, a bronchoscopy (which they could not put me to sleep using Fentanyl and Versed, so they had to use a general anesthetic) – a 60-minute procedure took 3.5 hours. So, much for twilight sleep. I am also having osteopathic hypotension, a condition where my blood pressure drops when I am going from laying or sitting to standing, which causes lightheadedness, dizziness, and a couple of other problems. Within the last few days, I have had numbness in my lower lip and outside left two fingers, so I am getting a lumbar puncture with chemotherapy injected directly into my spinal fluid tomorrow.

To be released, the doctors need to figure out what is causing the osteopathic hypotension, as a fall with low platelet counts could result in fatal bleeding.

Even when discharged, I will be here a minimum of 3 days a week for labs and seeing my doctor, 5 days a month for IV chemotherapy, and will be taking oral chemotherapy everyday for the rest of my life.

#CancerSucks“

For some reason this fundraiser says that I’m the one who benefits from donations but it is all going to Danielle Kornitz. I’m trying to switch that in my edit but so far no luck.

6/24/23 update: Danielle was readmitted to Froedert today after having issues. It appears the her AML has returned and she will be in the hospital for the next 30 to 60 days and it is going to lead to a trip to Mayo for a bone marrow transplant. That makes this campaign even more vital.

As many of you may not know, Danielle was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in July of 2022 when she thought she was just battling an infection. After a few weeks of pain and doubt a hospital visit ended her up in Froedtert for the better part of two months.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow with excess immature white blood cells. AML progresses rapidly, with myeloid cells interfering with the production of normal white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets.

With an immediate and aggressive treatment plan, Danielle was admitted to in-patient care at Froedtert where she went through more tests than she can count, four aggressive doses of chemo and constant evaluation by nurses and doctors that truly are angels. After a really hard 8 weeks of inpatient treatment, Danielle is finally able to go home and be in her own space in her parents home, although she knows she still has an extremely long journey ahead of her.

Danielle’s only source of income is her monthly disability (SSDI) payments now and her monthly Medicare premium is $725.07. The chemo medication alone has a $3000 copay in addition to the other required medication copays. Her current copay amounts exceed the SSDI income she receives.

In addition to this cost, there is the possibility of a transplant taking place at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. This would require a three-month stay and Medicare will only cover the first 60 days of care. This would leave a minimum of 30 days out of pocket at $800 per day (assuming there are no further complications with treatment)

She has been volunteering at Froedtert helping patients and families deal with the stress of being mired in the healthcare system, but her AML has limited that to a schedule of two days per week. For the two days she is able to volunteer she has been on light duty but still takes time to comfort other cancer patients and families

This unexpected and devastating diagnosis and reality comes within two months after cofounding a SE Wisconsin based photography business, where she was helping to document dreams for others and creating a steady income. This income would have allowed her to move out of her parent’s home and live independently for the first time since 2017. Many people would see the cancer diagnosis as impossible, but Danielle is fighting for her life more than ever.

Due to Danielle having experienced a traumatic brain injury from a bicycle accident in 2017, the AML diagnosis has created an unneeded strain on her already limited income not to mention her mental health. Added to that is the constant pressure of being a Trans Woman living in 2023.

As Danielle continues this long journey ahead of her, we want and need to do something to help. Danielle is the most loving, selfless, thoughtful,and caring person most of us know, so it is now time to give back some of what she has given us, back to her.

Please consider helping support Danielle by

donating to support the cost of the following (but not limited to):

1. The wonderful in-patient care Danielle received at Froedtert.

2. Upcoming out-patient services (chemo, treatments, tests, etc.)

3. The expensive cost of medication

4. Future bone marrow transplant

5. Danielle now faces the daunting challenge of not only battling cancer, but rising costs in keeping a roof over her head. In conjunction with her medical expenses, her disability income falls short of covering both major financial drains she now faces.

I am sure there is someone in your life who is your Danielle, and we thank you for the support you are selflessly giving. To those who have shared this with you, we thank you for your help, and if you cannot donate, please know we are grateful for every share on social media/email to friends/etc. you can send. Spreading this Go Fund Me helps us reach more people, and if we are so lucky, help our friend Danielle get back on her feet during this challenging time.

And to anyone still reading this, I truly thank you for helping us support our dearest friend and irreplaceable Danielle.