My name is Vanessa, and my son Austin is in need of a bone marrow transplant. He was 16 years old when cancer entered our world. Since then, we've been living a nightmare we can't escape It began with swollen lymph nodes, pale skin, until he could no longer stand on his feet without almost passing out. the next thing I know we're on our way to Mott's children's hospital because of very abnormal blood results his white blood cell count was 420+ I had no idea what to expect. All I knew at the time was that his blood work was very abnormal. Then came the words that shattered my world:
"I'm so sorry... your son has Cancer.” Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)." From that moment on, our lives became hospitals, tears, and fear. For the past 27 months, Austin has endured round after round of chemotherapy, pain, and exhaustion. Medication has been extremely hard on his body, causing osteonecrosis, anaphylaxis and methotrexate neurotoxicity, which caused him to be paralyzed on the left side of his body for almost a week unable to speak or even understand what was going on. he missed out on drivers training, his last year of high school and starting college he’s missed so many teenage and young adult experiences. Just a few weeks ago, I truly believed we were almost through this. That Austin would beat cancer. But after his last Lumber Puncture the doctors told us the worst: The cancer had come back! And this time he will require a bone marrow transplant, with possible CAR-T therapy which will require me to be off work and relocate for treatment. Please help me keep my focus on my son’s health as he faces this battle head on once again. All funds raised through the campaign are intended to cover all costs associated with the treatment and financial support of the family, including medical, food, relocation, accommodation, medicines and any support that will help with treatment and recovery.