Stevie D's Kickn cancer FUND!
Donation protected
My dear friends Steve and Carol Ann Dondero have had their foundation rocked. They need help. Steve is currently at Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center in Baltimore. I think I should go back to the beginning of their challenging journey.
On September 29th Steve went to the Johns Hopkins ER for difficulty swallowing and after a CT scan was diagnosed with a large mass on his heart, left thyroid and trachea. He returned to the Johns Hopkins ER on October 3rd for difficulty breathing and he was admitted. A second CT scan that day also found that the mass had grown significantly since his September 29th scan. He stayed in the hospital and on October 12th, after many tests, a needle biopsy, a bone marrow biopsy and an invasive surgical biopsy, he was finally diagnosed with a rare form of Leukemia. T-cell Acute Lymphocytic (Lymphoblastic) Leukemia. They started Chemotherapy that night.
Steve is now undergoing an aggressive regimen of chemotherapy over the course of 4 weeks at Johns Hopkins with the goal of shrinking the mass completely. After that he will need to complete 6 more months of chemotherapy from home. It is in Steve's favor that he was in excellent health before the onset of this acute cancer and also great that Leukemia cells were not present in the bone marrow.
Steve has seen a lot of progress the past few weeks. His amazing wife, beautiful daugthers, and dedicated family and friends have been by his side. I've known Carol and Steve for over 25 years (since college), where they met. I can still remember the day she first met Steve. She started waitressing at the resturant where Steve worked. She was beaming when she told us about him! Carol was drawn to Steve with his kind hearted personality and his good looks helped too :) They have been together ever since, weathering life's bumpy roads, and staying true to their bond. They've created a loving home for their daughters, Nina and twins Lily and Sophie. It's clear the girls have their parent's big hearts! He's a wonderful Dad. To say their family's close is an understatement. Steve love his family deeply.
Steve's always steadily done 'the right thing'. Works hard, has a long commute to his job, and saved throughout the years. Steve saves every penny, and as a result has been the butt of many "time warp jokes". But we all know why he does it. To provide. Big news though, he's now upgraded from his flip phone to an I-phone...so he can facetime his girls!! He doesn't complain though and really doesn't ask or require much to feel content in life. He's the definition of a 'simple guy'. I know there's nothing more that Steve wants right now than to have a "mundane" and simple kind of day. And, he will again... after some time and the treatment he is getting.
Nina's in her first year of college and the twins are in their Senior year of HS. He's working everyday to come back home to his girls. With all the financial strain from an illness such as this, I believe his recovery is the most important place for his energy. Please help this very special family to find a way to forge ahead with their "new normal." Their journey will be challenging, however; there is no doubt Steve will be on the victorious side of this fight. We love you Stevie D. Keep on keeping on! One day at a time...
On September 29th Steve went to the Johns Hopkins ER for difficulty swallowing and after a CT scan was diagnosed with a large mass on his heart, left thyroid and trachea. He returned to the Johns Hopkins ER on October 3rd for difficulty breathing and he was admitted. A second CT scan that day also found that the mass had grown significantly since his September 29th scan. He stayed in the hospital and on October 12th, after many tests, a needle biopsy, a bone marrow biopsy and an invasive surgical biopsy, he was finally diagnosed with a rare form of Leukemia. T-cell Acute Lymphocytic (Lymphoblastic) Leukemia. They started Chemotherapy that night.
Steve is now undergoing an aggressive regimen of chemotherapy over the course of 4 weeks at Johns Hopkins with the goal of shrinking the mass completely. After that he will need to complete 6 more months of chemotherapy from home. It is in Steve's favor that he was in excellent health before the onset of this acute cancer and also great that Leukemia cells were not present in the bone marrow.
Steve has seen a lot of progress the past few weeks. His amazing wife, beautiful daugthers, and dedicated family and friends have been by his side. I've known Carol and Steve for over 25 years (since college), where they met. I can still remember the day she first met Steve. She started waitressing at the resturant where Steve worked. She was beaming when she told us about him! Carol was drawn to Steve with his kind hearted personality and his good looks helped too :) They have been together ever since, weathering life's bumpy roads, and staying true to their bond. They've created a loving home for their daughters, Nina and twins Lily and Sophie. It's clear the girls have their parent's big hearts! He's a wonderful Dad. To say their family's close is an understatement. Steve love his family deeply.
Steve's always steadily done 'the right thing'. Works hard, has a long commute to his job, and saved throughout the years. Steve saves every penny, and as a result has been the butt of many "time warp jokes". But we all know why he does it. To provide. Big news though, he's now upgraded from his flip phone to an I-phone...so he can facetime his girls!! He doesn't complain though and really doesn't ask or require much to feel content in life. He's the definition of a 'simple guy'. I know there's nothing more that Steve wants right now than to have a "mundane" and simple kind of day. And, he will again... after some time and the treatment he is getting.
Nina's in her first year of college and the twins are in their Senior year of HS. He's working everyday to come back home to his girls. With all the financial strain from an illness such as this, I believe his recovery is the most important place for his energy. Please help this very special family to find a way to forge ahead with their "new normal." Their journey will be challenging, however; there is no doubt Steve will be on the victorious side of this fight. We love you Stevie D. Keep on keeping on! One day at a time...
Organizer and beneficiary
Denise Katchmark
Organizer
Centreville, VA
Carol Ann Dondero
Beneficiary