Jesse's Fight Against Leukemia

Just last Thursday Jesse called me and asked me to drive him to urgent care. He said he felt really sick and was having trouble walking back from class. After a quick blood test, the staff realized something was very wrong. Jesse was anemic, could barely stand, and had dangerous blood results. After a series of medical tests, blood transfusions, and ER transfers, he finally ended up at the University of Maryland, Baltimore Cancer Center where he was diagnosed with Leukemia. Just two days after the biopsy, Jesse began his first round of chemotherapy and has a long and difficult treatment plan ahead of him.

Jesse is one of the kindest, most genuine, and driven people I know. Everyone who knows him would say the same thing without hesitating. He’s a hardworking student with hopes of going to Medical School. Unfortunately, even with graduation only a month away and his MCAT exam just around the corner, Jesse has had to put his goals on pause so he can focus on this new obstacle.

The current plan that his doctors set up is a treatment that will take 2-3 years. Even with health insurance, many of Jesse’s medications will require out of pocket payments.

We have set our goal to support the Gerb's with as much of the financial burden as we can. We all have an opportunity to help him and his family. By doing so, they won’t have to worry about the steep costs of his treatment, and can focus solely on his battle against cancer.