THANK YOU

Thank you! Each and every one of you have been so kind to Mike and our family during this time.

Mike was formally diagnosed with a type of Leukemia called Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) on March  9th 2012.  He began Chemotherapy the evening of March 9.  The chemotherapy lasted for one week.  Mike will remain in the hospital for another 2-3 weeks while his body recovers.  We expect to find out in the next week that the leukemia is in remission.

Many of you have asked what will happen next for Mike.  At this point, after the leukemia goes into remission, Mike will have a stem cell transplantation.  Many of you have been so kind as to offer to be a donor in hopes of being a match with Mike.  Mike’s four siblings have all been tested to see if we are a match with Mike.  In the event one of us is not a match, there is a 90-95 percent chance that we will find a match for Mike in The National Marrow Donor Program.  We are contemplating doing a local blood drive, and in the event we do go forward, we will let all of you know the details of such an event.  

When Mike leaves the hospital he will meet with Doctors to select who he wants to work with for the stem cell transplantation.  Many of you have been very kind to offer help in this area as people have had some experience with leukemia.  At this point, we think Mike will be choosing between Memorial Sloane Kettering and Cornell Medical Center.  We have had the Chief of the Leukemia and Stem Cell Transplantation at MD Anderson in Texas review Mike’s case, but have determined that staying in NY will be best for Mike in the months following the procedure.