It all started on June 21st 2023 I got out of work to take Austin to the ER because it was after hours. he wasn’t feeling good and he almost passed out in the shower. 

My friend Essa came with us we figured it would be an in an out trip nothing too serious. 

 But when the doctor came in to discuss his labs his face said way more than he even needed to. My heart dropped as he told us that Austin had the highest white count he’s ever seen and without any other testing he was 100% sure Austin had Cancer.

 He told us to sit tight while he called a few hospitals I froze in disbelief, there has to be a mistake! there was talk about sending him to Covenant in Saginaw but that quickly changed, he told us that we could go down to U of M by ambulance, but we decided to pack a bag and drive ourselves down. Not having and clue what to expect. 

 When we got to the hospital, we end up walking into the adult ER I never been to this hospital before, it’s huge, I was overwhelmed and It was midnight by the time we got there. it was so busy it looked like something out of a movie, there was people on stretchers out in the waiting room and in the halls.

 I went up to the desk to go check in and they immediately had someone walk us over to the children’s ER. It was night and day. It was so much more calm. There was no one in the waiting room. My nerves started to settle.

 I spent 2 sleepless nights with him in the ICU trying to wrap my head around what was going on, the following morning 7East became our home for the next 28 days. 

 Austin received intense chemo during his stay, he lost all of his hair, he ended up on blood pressure medication, and he ended up with diabetes, so I had to watch everything he ate, and had to check his blood sugar and administer insulin shots multiple times a day. I had to learn how to give him chemo through his PICC line and then heparin lock it. and that my friends was just the beginning…. 

 He had setbacks along the way such as:

• Osteonecrosis (from high dose steroids)

 • Methotrexate neurotoxicity (caused the left side of his body to become completely paralyzed for five days he was unable to speak wright his name or even understand simple conversations) 

 • Anaphylaxis (from one of his chemo meds) 

 • Covid ( RBC of 4.2 he was rushed down by ambulance needing five blood transfusions) 

 • Missed his first make a wish trip (due to Covid landing him in the hospital for a week) 

• Cat bite (landing him in the hospital for a few days and multiple other follow up appointments)

 • Relapsed September 2nd 2025 (another 28 days of inpatient treatment) • Missed his second make a wish trip (due to him Relapsing)

 • Relapsed again Dec, 10 2025 (been inpatient since December 16th 2025) he’s currently dealing with leukemia infiltration in his jaw, his testicles and his spine. 

 He’s on a PCA of dilaudid for pain among other things. we have been working with palliative care in attempt to get his pain managed but it has been a struggle to say the least. 

 He went through. 

9 Bone marrow Biopsy’s 

14 Ultrasounds 

16 MRI’s 

33 Lumbar punctures 

50+ blood draws 

120+ days in the hospital. 

 He sat bravely through a 4 hour T-cell collection And is beginning another round of chemotherapy today. 

 He has to go through CAR-T therapy in February and then a bone marrow transplant shortly after. 

 His journey is far from over… 

So, Whether you are able to donate or share, every bit of support means the world to the us. Please keep Austin in your prayers as he faces this journey head on.

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