Mark's Bone Marrow Transplant in August 2022

Hello, my name is Dana; I am fundraising for my husband and family. On August 18th, 2022, my husband is due to go into Vancouver General Hospital for a bone marrow transplant. My husband, Mark, was diagnosed a year ago with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia. We were told that as far as leukemia goes, this one was one of the 'better' leukemias to get and is usually treatable by medications. After a ten-day stint in the hospital, he was able to come home, and with a couple of trips to our local Cowichan Hospital for blood transfusions, he started the road to recovery.

Mark is an incredible human being who goes out of his way to help the people around him, whether he knows them or not. He is a hard-working father of four kids, two of which are on the Autism Spectrum. We met 15 years ago when I moved to Duncan from Vancouver. He is my best friend, and he and my children are my reason for living. Raising children is challenging, even more so when they have their struggles. He is my partner, my heart and the mate to my soul!

Less than a month ago, we were notified that he had undergone stage two (accelerated growth) of his leukemia and would require this surgery. We were told he would have to spend a month in the hospital, and unfortunately, we were told that he would need at least two months of recovery in Vancouver with 24-hour care before he could come home to finish his recovery. The best case scenario is four months, and the worst case scenario is 6 to 8 months. With everything that has happened over the last couple of years, our savings was chewed up. I have been building a retail jewellery supply store in Duncan, BC, for five years. It has been a hard road with many obstacles, and Mark has been my rock of support.

The funds we raise will help us pay for the place he will stay, the care he will receive, and the travelling expenses. It will help us care for our boys while our income has been cut and keep a roof over our heads. We are truly grateful for the love and support we are receiving and hope to pay it forward to others that are struggling in the future. Thanks to some pretty incredible people we are able to adjust the amount needed. He is halfway through his Vancouver stay and healing.