Help Lottie Beat Leukemia
Donation protected
On October 26, 2020 my grandmother, Lottie Jackson, was home alone on her day off. Being the busy bee that she is, she was cleaning her home and working in her yard when she began to feel breathless and lethargic. I had been encouraging her to go to the doctor for shortness of breath for some time. Finally, she was alarmed enough to seek help. She first drove to an urgent care facility, but they told her she would have to go to the ER. Still lethargic and breathless, she drove to the nearest ER, where she was later admitted due to a low RBC count.
Doctors ran tests for a week and gave her blood transfusions, but could not find the cause why her blood and platelet counts were so low. Finally, she underwent a bone marrow biopsy. A week later, while visiting family in SC, my grandmother got the results of her biopsy. The doctor wanted her to report for treatment ASAP. She had been diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. We were shocked and devastated. Cancer?! My grandma had never been sick before. Now she was fighting for her life! We drove all night to get her to the hospital to begin treatment. But, once we got there, her condition worsened. My grandma had pneumonia, complications with infection around her heart, high fevers, and her blood count was too low to begin treatment.
After a month in the hospital, which included a stay in the ICU, my grandma had beaten the odds. Her doctors called her a miracle patient! She was well enough to go home to continue her treatment. We were elated! She had regular appointments with her local cancer specialist in collaboration with the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa. By January, 2021, she was in remission! Then came the next hurdle. The doctor said my grandma would only stay in remission for 5-6 months before the cancer returned full force. She required a bone marrow transplant. A month later, her job informed her they would have to drop her health insurance. We were able to get assistance from some non-profit organizations to help with her medical care, THANK GOD! What's better, Moffitt told us they'd found TWO matches on the registry for her transplant!
Well, we are at yet another crossroads. My grandma will require 24/7 complete care following her transplant in mid-May. She must also reside in Tampa ( We live 2 hours away in Naples, FL), for 3 months following the transplant. Housing is $3500/month. The facilities are within minutes of the Moffitt Center and provide shuttle service for my grandma and her caretaker ( The family will work together to work in bi-weekly shifts as her caretaker.) to and from the required daily visits to the Moffitt Center for after care. We have solicited help from within our family, church family, friends, and community to get us this far. My grandma's only income is her social security. This has been a journey already, and we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Please help us with just a little push to get across the finish line and HELP LOTTIE BEAT LEUKEMIA.
We will be forever grateful. My grandma has been a blessing to all who come in contact with her. She has a sincere heart and is always willing to help anyone in need. This time she is the one in need. I pray others with a likewise spirit will come to her aid.
Thank You and May God Bless you to be a Blessing to Others.
Doctors ran tests for a week and gave her blood transfusions, but could not find the cause why her blood and platelet counts were so low. Finally, she underwent a bone marrow biopsy. A week later, while visiting family in SC, my grandmother got the results of her biopsy. The doctor wanted her to report for treatment ASAP. She had been diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. We were shocked and devastated. Cancer?! My grandma had never been sick before. Now she was fighting for her life! We drove all night to get her to the hospital to begin treatment. But, once we got there, her condition worsened. My grandma had pneumonia, complications with infection around her heart, high fevers, and her blood count was too low to begin treatment.
After a month in the hospital, which included a stay in the ICU, my grandma had beaten the odds. Her doctors called her a miracle patient! She was well enough to go home to continue her treatment. We were elated! She had regular appointments with her local cancer specialist in collaboration with the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa. By January, 2021, she was in remission! Then came the next hurdle. The doctor said my grandma would only stay in remission for 5-6 months before the cancer returned full force. She required a bone marrow transplant. A month later, her job informed her they would have to drop her health insurance. We were able to get assistance from some non-profit organizations to help with her medical care, THANK GOD! What's better, Moffitt told us they'd found TWO matches on the registry for her transplant!
Well, we are at yet another crossroads. My grandma will require 24/7 complete care following her transplant in mid-May. She must also reside in Tampa ( We live 2 hours away in Naples, FL), for 3 months following the transplant. Housing is $3500/month. The facilities are within minutes of the Moffitt Center and provide shuttle service for my grandma and her caretaker ( The family will work together to work in bi-weekly shifts as her caretaker.) to and from the required daily visits to the Moffitt Center for after care. We have solicited help from within our family, church family, friends, and community to get us this far. My grandma's only income is her social security. This has been a journey already, and we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Please help us with just a little push to get across the finish line and HELP LOTTIE BEAT LEUKEMIA.
We will be forever grateful. My grandma has been a blessing to all who come in contact with her. She has a sincere heart and is always willing to help anyone in need. This time she is the one in need. I pray others with a likewise spirit will come to her aid.
Thank You and May God Bless you to be a Blessing to Others.
Organizer
Kirsten Jackson
Organizer
Naples, FL