Support Brandon's Battle with Polycythemia Vera

My name is Brandon Rezendes, and while I never dreamed I'd be in this position, life has a way of throwing curve balls when you least expect them. I don't typically post anything about my personal life online, so outside of immediate family, very few people know what I'm about to share.

In February 2024, during an ER visit, a set of routine blood labs turned up some alarming irregularities in my red blood cell counts. After a surprise 3-day hospitalization, it was determined the most likely diagnosis was Polycythemia Vera, an incredibly rare form of chronic blood cancer. Since then, it's been almost 5 months of nonstop appointments, procedures, and tests trying to rule it out, but unfortunately, my final diagnosis remains PV. It's incurable, but luckily, with regular phlebotomy and an ongoing course of chemotherapy pills, the survival rates are very optimistic.

That being said, I've missed a ton of time from work for the various procedures and appointments. Between that, the mountain of medical bills, and being out of work since the end of May for an unrelated foot surgery, money has been a little tighter for me and my family than my pride has allowed me to admit. I have no expectation of meeting the monetary goal I set, but please know from the absolute bottom of my heart that anything you're able to give will help us get over this hopefully minor speed bump my family is experiencing. Thank you for taking the time to read this!