Support Michael Hope's Final Journey

My dad, Michael Hope, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2022. Multiple myeloma is cancer of the plasma cells. He started treatment and had very good results, he was soon in remission. When multiple myeloma is in remission, it does not have much impact on daily life. Anyone who knows my dad knows what a hard worker he is, so he of course resumed his normal activities, working his landscaping business and cleaning houses with my mom. His quality of life was very good for quite some time, you could hardly tell he was sick.

He has had back pain since July 2024. He went to the doctor and they found that his cancer was active again. He was hoping to participate in a stem cell transplant, but was not a candidate because of his condition at the time.

He instead went to VCU to begin car T cell treatment, a form of immunotherapy that uses your own immune cells to fight multiple myeloma. He had a port put in to retrieve his white blood cells on Monday, 9/23. By Wednesday, he was delirious with an infection. My mom took him to the ER and he was admitted. They treated his infection over the next few days, but his pain was immense. The cancer was the source of his pain. He was transferred to the hospital that his oncologist could see him in, and after a few days we received the prognosis that he most likely will not survive, his cancer is too progressed for chemo to be effective. He is on comfort measures so that his pain is completely under control. This was quite unexpected for us as his condition has been stable for so long, but within a week he is near the end of his life.

We are devastated by the loss of the greatest man we know. He has had many lucid moments all week to tell us he loves us. He has been surrounded by loved ones every second of being in the hospital, and the staff at both hospitals has been wonderful.

My mom has been impacted by not only the deterioration of her husband of 35 years, but also the financial loss of his income, and the impending funeral costs. Please help us give him the proper goodbye that he deserves.