Team Adams
In July of 2012, my mom, Cindy was diagnosed with Stage 2B Breast Cancer. All the news that we got in the beginning was awful! Everything that could of been wrong, was wrong! If she was supposed to have this factor she had the other. Nothing was right!She had a couple surgeries, underwent extensive chemo treatments and several painful radiation treatments. In August of 2014, she decided it was time to have a mastectomy to decrease her chances of the cancer coming back. She has since had three surgeries and we can now joyfully say all the cancer is gone!
In June of 2014, my dad, Bill was diagnosed with MDS (Myelodysplastic syndrome). MDS is a form of leukemia and can turn into leukemia. MDS are conditions that occur when the blood-forming cells in the bone marrow are damaged. This damage leads to low numbers of one or more types of blood cells. In my dads situation it is the red blood cells, which create oxygen. My dads hemoglobin is generally low, so he receives blood transfusion quite a bit. His platelets also decrease, so he receives those too. The doctor said that they would immediately start treatments of two shots for seven consecutive days and this would happen once a month. After the first treatment, my dad's body did not react well and he landed himself in the hospital for about five days. My dad and the doctor decided that they put a port in and try to do the treatment injections slowly and through the port. In the coming months, dad did better receiving his treatments. In December, my dad still had not noticed a change in the way he felt. He talked to his oncologist who referred him to see a MDS specialist at UNC. So, off to UNC my mom and dad go. After the appointment, our family received news no one wants to hear. The specialist said that the treatment my dad was currently on was not working at all. At this point, the MDS had not gotten worst, but it had not gotten any better either. If he continued with the treatment he was on, he had about a year and a half life expectancy. Now, my dad was faced with options. They told him he could do a bone marrow transplant (which may or may not work, due to rejection of the bone marrow, 40% chance of working), a clinical trial drug that would be ready in January (that has been tried on other cancers, just not MDS), or very extensive chemotherapy. Well, my dad thought he would try the clinical trial. In the meantime, he is still receiving the other treatments to maintain the MDS and he will come back to UNC in February. On February 20, 2015, our family got some news no family wants to hear.... He told us that my dad's bone marrow biopsy now shows that he has full blown leukemia. He now has Acute Myeloid Leukemia... wait what? How could this be? Now, my dad has full blown cancer?! The doctor then looks at my parents and said now, these are your options... You can stay in the hospital for 4 weeks and received chemotherapy (that could possibly be more harmful than good) or the clinical trial ( which still has not been release, now they say the 2nd week of March). If my dad decides to forgo either of these treatments, the doctor expects his life expectancy to be 1 - 3 months.
I am creating this website in my parents honor in order to help them obtain funding to help pay for their medical bills.
Cancer does not discriminate and unfortunately it took its place in my family. If you can help in any way, we would appreciate it greatly!
My parents mean the world to my sibling and me. Please pray for my parents, my siblings and me to have strength during this difficult time.
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10