The Holten Family

Hi, my name is Simone and I’m a friend of the Holten Family. I’ve known Jess pretty much my whole life. We started kindergarten at the same school and we also went through high school together. I met Brendan a million moons ago when they started dating and it’s been beautiful watching their family grow. They have 4 incredible children, Levi 14, Ruby 12, Evie 7 and Jess’s nephew Jonah who is 1.

Brendan has been unwell for the past year and no one knew what was wrong. After over 2 weeks in the hospital, they now have a diagnosis of AL Amyloidosis.

AL Amyloidosis is a progressive non-curable disease. His body is making abnormal white blood cells that create misshaped proteins that the body can't use. They then build up in his organs causing damage. His heart and other organs have been affected and the plan is for treatment that helps stop/slow the progression.

His treatment is chemo, for at least 6 months. The hope is to get Brendan strong enough for them to do a stem cell harvest and then further treatment. This starts on Monday.

This disease is rare and there is no cure. The current treatment plan looks promising and has shown good success in trials. But it has only just been approved as a treatment so is still very new. The future remains unknown.

He is unable to work for a minimum of two years and this is a huge financial burden that they don’t need. But if you know Brendan then you know that he is committed to fighting this with everything he’s got. But the truth is every champion needs a support team. So please join his team, and help them have a little less to worry about.

This has been a huge shock for everyone. The kids are aware and still processing the information and trying to understand the best they can. They are lucky in one aspect though. They have the love and support of a community of amazing friends, from school, work, dance, cheer, football and soccer to name a few. Jess and Brendan are not the types to ask for help so I am reaching out for them, on behalf of their friends, family and everyone that loves them.

Any contribution big or small helps. Even if you just leave a message of support to let them know you are thinking of them. Thank you for your support. It means the world.