Foreclosure Fears for Patient’s Family

Darby Farnsworth (photo: WSB-TV Atlanta)

As her 3 year old daughter Darby battled leukemia, Lindsey Farnsworth was by her side through the long hospital stays. This devotion cost Lindsey her job. Medical expenses related to Darby’s treatment and cord blood transplant ate up large portions of the Farnsworths’ remaining income. The family fell behind on their bills, including their $1,600 monthly mortgage payments. They contacted their lender, applied to the bank’s assistance programs, tried to negotiate reduced payments, and hired a lawyer. With no relief, the Farnsworths eventually received a foreclosure notice and were told their home would be soon auctioned off. After the family’s plight was profiled by their local news station, the bank canceled the auction and is reportedly working with the Farnsworths to determine a long-lasting solution.

Stories of housing foreclosures are all too common these days, but for bone marrow, stem cell, and cord blood transplant patients and their families, the stress is increased. Because the patient’s immune system is severely compromised during the transplant process, he or she needs a safe and clean environment to reduce the risks of life-threatening infections during the lengthy recovery period. Preparing a home before the patient returns can be a large and expensive undertaking, but it could be deadly to have to do it a second time, at an unfamiliar location, after the patient has been discharged from the transplant center.

Looking Toward the Future

Salvador with his wife and son

Salvador Medina believed his life had reached a high point. After almost two years of unemployment, due to a lagging construction industry, he found a job as a restaurant server. He also completed the first semesters of his college career and was on his way to becoming a nurse. Best of all, he and his wife, Megan, celebrated the birth of their first baby, Kenneth. There was nothing Salvador enjoyed more than spending time with his new son and making plans for all the things the family would do together.

Salvador had been feeling a little off in the weeks before and after Kenneth’s arrival, but he and Megan attributed it to the adjustment of having a new job, the stress of school, and the sleepless nights with the new baby. After a particularly painful night of unbearable back pain and difficulty breathing, Salvador decided to visit the emergency room. He returned to the hospital where he had welcomed his son exactly three weeks earlier; however, this time, the news was devastating. Salvador was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

What followed were months of inpatient hospital treatments, including six rounds of chemotherapy, a cord blood transplant, and multiple post-transplant complications. Salvador had a severe infection where his port was and acute kidney failure. This has been especially difficult for Salvador as he was forced to stop working, put school on hold, and be separated from his family. He has been taken away from all of the things he was so excited about.

The process has also been difficult financially. The loss of Salvador’s income coupled with the unexpected medical expenses and the cost of raising a new child has put considerable financial strain on the family.

Although this has been a difficult journey, Salvador is beginning to regain his strength and recover from almost a year’s worth of treatment. They hope that he will be home in about a month or so – just in time to celebrate their son’s first birthday together.

To learn more about the Medina family, click here.

Lifeline Project Profiles: Scott, Cecile, and Ariel

Meet Scott, Cecile, and Ariel. They are the latest Lifeline Project participants to be profiled in our ongoing series highlighting the needs of transplant patients.

Scott

Scott

In December of 2010 Scott was diagnosed with plasma cell leukemia (PCL), an aggressive, rare cancer involving plasma cells in the blood. Scott, a newly married IT professional, has since endured two rounds of chemotherapy, both with great success. Once the chemotherapy is completed, Scott will need two transplants. The first transplant is an autologous stem cell transplant, and the second one is an allogeneic stem cell transplant. Scott and his wife need help covering the donor search expenses.

Cecile

Cecile

Cecile, a married mother with a five-year-old son, was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), and underwent a cord blood transplant this past July. Prior to her diagnosis she worked as a licensed practical nurse, but due to her treatment is currently unable to work. Her husband has also needed to stop working to relocate with her for her transplant and recovery. Cecile and her family need assistance with expenses related to their prolonged stay far from home.

Ariel

Ariel

Ariel, a very strong little girl, was diagnosed with sickle cell disease shortly after her birth in 2006. She is now four years old and recently underwent a bone marrow transplant; one of her little brothers was her donor. Her mother stayed with her at the transplant center; while her dad stayed with her two brothers back home. They need funding to cover the travel and transplant related expenses.

To help these or any of the Lifeline Project participants, click here.