Support Brian's Journey With Rare Blood Disorder

Hi there, friends and family of the Schminskis!

I'm Alex, a friend of Heidi's from high school, and I'm managing this fundraiser to help relieve new financial burdens as the family hunkers to support Brian through what's become quite the rare medical adventure.

Brian is currently unable to work, and Heidi is out of PTO, so she's doing her best to continue at the moment, but not sure how long that will be sustainable. In addition to covering their regular expenses, the family needs funds for extra childcare, medical costs, and convenient meals. Please join me in showing up and providing whatever financial help we can. I will update with a more specific breakdown of needs as soon as I'm able to connect with Heidi, but please know any contribution will be used well.

If you are unable to make a donation but want to support locally, meals, help with housework, and babysitting are greatly appreciated.

Super high-level info about Brian's condition: Brian has been struggling with a rare hematologic disorder called Amegakaryocytic Thrombocytopenia with acquired Aplastic Anemia for the last couple months and the initial treatments have so far been unsuccessful. This has caused his platelets and hemoglobin to be dangerously low, so he has been receiving platelet and blood transfusions while the Hematology/Oncology team at Essentia and the Mayo Clinic try to find a treatment that will work.

He was hospitalized for a week 04/29-05/03 to receive an immune-suppressing therapy called ATG that comes with some serious side effects. He has been managing symptoms to the best of his ability since coming home May 3rd. Early Saturday morning 03/11, Brian woke up with severe chest pain and Heidi had to call emergency services. The paramedics found he was in an abnormal heart rhythm and his vitals were very unstable so they made the decision to shock him with the defibrillator before taking him to the hospital. He was awake for the whole ordeal and said it felt like getting kicked by a horse. Thankfully, it worked and his heart rhythm returned to normal. Heidi got to bring him home after getting a Magnesium transfusion. Right now, he will continue to manage symptoms at home and go in 2x/week for labs and subsequent blood/platelet transfusions depending on his numbers.

The hope is that this ATG therapy will work and his numbers will slowly return to normal or at least safe levels. The Hematologists said this could take 3 weeks or it could take 3 months, it is a very rare condition so there is no way to know how/if he will respond. If this treatment fails, then they will discuss a bone marrow transplant.

More detailed info in another post.