Help Tsubasa Endoh Beat Leukemia and Pneumonia

Please see an update from Tsubasa below about his progress from last year as a result of his personal fight and the amazing outpouring of love from all his supports. As a result of the current challenges with his health, his medical expenses have risen once again. Please consider donating to help Tsubasa continue his fight against Leukemia (and now pneumonia), he appreciates everyone's support! - Sasho Cirovski

Hi guys, it’s Tsubasa here. Hope all of you are doing well!

Thanks to everyone's help and support, both moral and financial, I was able to get discharged in May of 2023 after I did a number of chemo cycles and a successful bone marrow transplant. While at first my condition didn’t get better at all because of my immunosuppresant drugs. I was throwing up every day for a few months. I couldn’t eat well every day. I was forcing myself to eat and it wasn’t a pleasant thing to do at all. I lost around 20kg (45lbs) after the transplant and I couldn’t believe what happened to my body. My usual body weight was 68kg (150lbs) and it went down to 49kg (108lbs). It took me 5-6 months of hard work in the gym and on the pitch almost every day to get back to where I was before all of this. I have been able to train well and my body is almost back to where I was before. It’s still not where I want to be at yet, but I was getting there slowly.

However, it relapsed back in late October last year and I had to go back to hospital for another chemo treatment. This time, I initially didn’t know how long I had to be on this chemo treatment for. My diagnosis, ‘Acute Undifferentiated Leukemia’, is so rare that the doctors don’t even know which treatment is the most effective. Thankfully, this chemo injection, which is called Azacitidine has been very effective according to my doctor. The chemo is usually used for those who have Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). I don’t belong to neither AML nor Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), so we decided to go for chemo treatment that is used for the ALL patients first back in 2022 December. Since it relapsed, we decided to change its course and we used treatment that is usually effective for the AML patients.

I am supposed to get these chemo injections 7-days straight and let the body rest for 3 weeks after that. That will be one cycle. I was initially told to do this cycle for 4 times, which started back in late October last year. However, after further internal discussions, the doctors highly recommend me to do this chemo treatment for a year, which is until December 2024. I was honestly aiming at getting back on the pitch at some point this year. I have been feeling good physically and mentally thanks to my personal trainer, and I feel like I will be ready if I keep training like this. That is why, I was devastated when I was told the news. I felt like I saw the light at the end of the tunnel but it almost put me back to zero again mentally. Another setback, but I have to keep going at it and beat this at the end. The relapse took me a big hit mentally, but there is only going forwards!

On top of that, I was feeling a bit off around the New Years and I was coughing every time I sprint or run. I knew there was something wrong but I kept pushing because I didn’t want to stop training. At one point, my body temperature skyrocketed and I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to go to hospital to get it checked up and I ended up having interstitial pneumonia. We did the bronchoscope to see my lungs and I am currently hospitalized and getting steroid treatment. This whole thing is a complication from the bone marrow transplant that I did last year in March. I wasn’t getting infected from someone, purely from the transplant itself. Chemo is currently on pause and have to prioritize getting treatment for interstitial pneumonia.

2024 has just started but I guess it’s not a start that I wanted. I sometimes feel like there is always one thing after another and it never ends. Though I will never lose faith and I have learned that the only way is keep moving forward no matter what. No matter how long it takes to get over this rare leukemia, you stay positive and control what you can control. I have learned through my leukemia battle that I shouldn’t take anything for granted in life and I don’t intend to waste any seconds that is given in my life. Life is too short and you will never know what is going to happen in your life tomorrow. Just like I never thought that I would be diagnosed with acute undifferentiated leukemia at the age of 29. My life has significantly changed since then. However, I feel I appreciate more little things in life now than before I was diagnosed. It won’t always be easy but I have been trying to be authentic and true to myself. I will keep fighting and I really hope I can be an inspiration to someone.

ORIGINAL POST FROM SASHO:

Dear Terp Nation and the Toronto FC soccer family,

I have some difficult news to share. Tsubasa Endoh, one of our own, is in Japan as we speak in the first week of his chemotherapy treatment to beat Leukemia.

He began having symptoms early last Fall while playing with LA Galaxy II. After several months of ongoing blood tests and biopsies in Los Angeles and in Japan, it was finally determined that he indeed has Acute Leukemia. It has become clear that his battle with this form of cancer will be a long one that starts with chemotherapy but may also require a bone marrow transplant at some point within the next year.

As a result I am spearheading this fundraising effort to help Tsubasa with his medical bills. In Japan, only a fraction of his medical bills are covered. Tsubasa came to Maryland in 2012 without being able to speak much English. He was a pivotal player in two of our College Cup appearances and won multiple conference titles in both the ACC and the Big Ten. He also graduated in 3.5 years! He spent most of his professional soccer career with Toronto FC. He is a small guy with a huge heart. He was a joy to coach and is a beloved teammate. He is only 29 years old! If you are able to, please help Tsubasa Endoh beat Leukemia! Any support is appreciated!