#TeamGabe Fundraiser

Six years ago we were faced with devastating news. Our oldest son, Gabe, had cancer. We soon learned it was leukemia type ALL Ph+ (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia with a positive Philidelphia chromosome) - a rare genetic type of leukemia that gave him only 30% survival rate. At the time, we learned about the latest groundbreaking new chemo treatment that bumped his chances up to 70% survival and immediately enrolled him in a trial study. It was a rocky two years of intense chemotherapy with a few close calls, but he made it and went into full remission four years ago.

We were thrilled! Up to our ears in debt, but so happy that he could go on to lead a normal life. He finished up high school and soon enrolled in college at UNL as a Mathematics Major, Japanese Minor. We loved watching him thrive and finally lead a productive young adult life that he so deserved. Meanwhile, we slowly started to climb out of debt not realizing the financial toll two years of treatment sunk us in - a small price to pay for a healthy, living child.

Then, out of the blue, during his senior year, we got this text, "Mom, I'm in the ER with back pain and spotty vision. Update you later."

My heart sunk to the pit of my stomach. I knew. Right then I knew. I had no idea what hospital he was in, but immediately went to our cedar chest and frantically dug for his childhood blankie - the blankie that stayed with him everyday through his first treatment - and rushed out the door. Several hours later after multiple tests, the ER nurse came in with a bag of blood for a transfusion. Gabe and I looked at eachother as I felt the final blow to my chest. Several days later and a hospital transfer to one of the nation's best cancer facilities in Nebraska, we had our official confirmation. The cancer was back.

Nobody wishes for cancer. And NOBODY deserves to get it a second time. We already fought this fight. The news overwhelmed us. We were already tired. And now we knew better. We would need help. LOTS of help. Many surrounded us the first time with their service and prayers, getting us set up to be caretakers and small contributions of gas cards and food or helping out with a bill here and there. But we now know that isn't enough.

Even if insurance covers everything (still working on that part), there is now a loss of income for our family. Not only Gabe's income, but mine as well. This will put us in the red at the start of this new race. And we know from first hand experience that even getting insurance worked out, there are multiple extra daily trips 40 minutes to his hospital and 40 minutes back again, there are meals to cover at the hospital for the caretakers, there are modifications to daily living that need to be accounted and paid for, there are modifications to schooling that will have to be made in order to make flexible homeschooling work for us during this time of transition. And there are transportation issues to contend with.

Anyone who has been following our story so far on Facebook is aware that transportation has been our biggest impedement to getting him proper care. Not only did our car break down during the first week of his treatment, now his car has also broken down. We are in the middle of arranging permanent quality transportation that will be needed for the next two years that can't wait. Arranging this has been not only time consuming and a constant source of stress, but also costly.

This is where you come in my dear fellow humans. If you are willing and able, even the smallest donation will help. We will be organizing fundraisers and applying for grants, but a gofundme page in this era of social media is our biggest chance to quickly raise the money we need to survive the next two years. We will be doing everything on our end to help him get the medical treatment he needs and to wrap around him in love to keep his mental state in a place where he can fight off the infections and bumps in the road during treatment. It would take a weight off our hearts and minds if we knew the financial resources were there to cover the rest.

Gabe will also have to withdraw from his senior year at UNL and give up working despite still needing to pay his car loan, car insurance, and his cell phone which is vital for him to keep in touch with us and his medical team. We don't know if his scholarships will roll over or when he will be able to return. This is devastating news to a boy with such a bright future and almost at the end of his college journey.

YOU, my dear friend, can make a difference!!!!

You can contribute financially directily through the gofundme link which will offer you a choice of paying by paypal, venmo, or directly from a debit/credit card. If you can't help financially, please know that just sharing our link and our story to as many eyes can see it via social media, via your churches, via your community board pages will help spread the word and give us the best chance to raise the money we need to help fight this disease.

From the bottom of our hearts we can't offer enough thank you's, especically to those who have already helped in so many ways. If you can think of other ways to help or offer services such as cleaning or moral support, feel free to reach out via Facebook Messenger (just send a friend request along with a message if we are not already friends) or through our gofundme page. And we don't underestimate the power of prayer. Thank you everyone who has been praying and putting us on prayer lists!

What your donations will help with:

We know this is asking for alot, but we also know the power of community and the power of prayer. We will be forever grateful for those wrapping around us during a time of turbulent transition.

We are deeply in your gratitude,

Love,

Adam, Amy, and Gabe Payson