Jessica Krutsch Cox's Medical Fund

On May 6, 2016, Jessica Krutsch Cox's  world was rocked when her brother John, her best friend, died unexpectedly on the morning of his daughter's wedding. His cause of death was determined to be a heart attack, likely a complication of his diabetes. That evening, Jessica felt as though her body were shutting down. She had a throbbing headache, body aches, chills, and it seemed that her husband, Travis, could not pile enough blankets on top of her to keep her warm. She assumed she was experiencing an unusual physical manifestation of the grief she felt from losing her brother. When she woke up the next morning and noticed about twenty dark bruises on the back of her calves, she worried that more was going on.

Over the next couple of weeks, bruises continued to appear across her body and especially on her legs. She felt unusually tired and weak. These symptoms, along with others, led her to visit an urgent care center. A complete blood count determined that her blood platelet level was around 30,000 (the low end of average is 150,000). The urgent care doctor referred her to a specialist, but the earliest appointment she could get was nearly two months out. As her symptoms worsened, she knew she could not wait that long for an appointment. 

On May 26, she sought emergency care at Mountain View Hospital in Payson, Utah.  A second complete blood count found that her platelet levels had dropped to about 19,000 and blast cells were present in her blood. Doctors suspected leukemia. From there she was transferred to the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City, where she ultimately stayed for almost 40 days to begin aggressive treatment. Her diagnosis was confirmed as acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL).  Due to the risk of infection and treatment protocols, Jessica was unable to see her three children during that entire hospital stay.

Since her diagnosis, Jessica has been unwaveringly confident: she is going to beat this cancer. After months of chemotherapy, she is currently considered to be in clinical remission, but she has years of treatments ahead of her. This month she will have her last intravenous chemotherapy treatment, and in November she will begin an anticipated two years of oral chemotherapy.

Jessica is treating her cancer remission as a new lease on life. Even though she is currently undergoing chemotherapy and has many side effects to manage, she has returned to work part time, teaching children to read. She is pursuing her passion for teaching by enrolling in classes through the BYU-Idaho Pathways program that will lead to a bachelor's degree in elementary education. Jess is a strong woman of faith and a talented artist who loves to craft, blog, read, and laugh with friends. She is grateful for each day she has to spend with her husband, their three children, and her incredible parents and extended family.

While Jessica and Travis do have medical insurance, their deductible is exceptionally high and they are facing staggering medical bills and related costs of care. Their medical bills from fighting this cancer will be extremely high this year and for years to come. Cancer is never beat alone; it requires a community of healthcare providers, family, friends and neighbors to rally together. Please join the community of Jessica's supporters and share this page and donate what you can to help Jessica beat leukemia.