Rally for Robb, Andrea, Noah, and Kate Gaffney

Hello, my name is Lou McGee. I am a childhood friend of Andrea Gaffney's stepping in to help her, her husband, Robb, and their children, Noah and Kate, through another particularly difficult time.

Their family feels ill at ease asking for financial help while he enters his third round battle with acute myeloid leukemia, which first reared its head four years ago. Many people have asked how to support them financially through this next phase but are unsure how. That's why I have set up this GoFundMe account.

Over the past two years, following two bone marrow stem-cell transplants and ongoing monthly treatments, Robb was under the impression his cancer, while still present in small amounts, was under control since sensitive blood tests were coming up clean. However, he has had increasing low back pain for several months. Initial imaging studies did not reveal anything concerning, and, to his surprise, after a lifetime of physical activity, his back and everything looked to be in great shape. But the pain continued to grow to debilitating levels, and more recent studies, including an MRI, PET scan, and bone marrow biopsies in both right and left hips, showed what they had hoped they'd never see. The acute myeloid leukemia is quietly burrowing into various bones throughout his body, most notably his left pelvis, causing what doctors call extramedullary disease.

In late 2022, his condition was stable enough that he felt confident he could reopen his psychiatry practice and be available long-term for his patients. So he recently reactivated his medical license, subscribed to a telemedicine software program, and felt excited about working again. But obviously, this abrupt turn with cancer has knocked him off his intended course.

Robb is fortunate to have a large team of oncologists who have come together to try to save his life. Doctors from Tahoe Forest Hospital, UC Davis, MD Anderson, and the City of Hope in Los Angeles are collaborating to develop the best plan possible. The initial treatment will involve radiating the tumors and involved lymph nodes to alleviate pain and spread. And then the next phase is uncertain. After that, he could enter a clinical trial to knock the cancer down far enough to be a candidate for a third transplant. But doctors are debating the viability of this approach because they rarely perform third transplants. Fortunately, Robb feels physically fit enough to endure one, and he is getting his body ready to take this on with everything he's got, just like he does with everything else in life.

Robb is not one to ask for help - he feels eternally indebted to those who already have. But after nearly four years without work, kids in college, and his family facing a highly uncertain next chapter, he is open to those who wish to support them.

Just know the Gaffneys are thankful for all the support people have shown, and they can feel everyone's love, which goes a long, long way.