Andy Burkholder is a fighter, currently facing the most challenging time of his life. He is a father of three, grandfather to two and loves his family, loves to golf, and runs a local upholstery business. He may arrive early to just about every function and talk to everyone as a friend, but when he does you know there will be plenty of laughter to follow. If you have had the pleasure of meeting Andy you know what a big heart he has and that he is always the first person to lend a helping hand. Andy has worked around the community for years. His business, Carolina Upholstery, has been open for 13 years and is currently still open.
On December 15th, Andy was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, a rare and aggressive form of blood cancer. His treatment plan will include trials, chemotherapy, testing, bone marrow biopsies, and prolonged hospital stays, among many other possible treatments so that Andy can finally receive a bone marrow transplant.
Andy’s ONE AND ONLY cure is to have a bone marrow transplant (stem cell transplant).
Once Andy is ready to receive a bone marrow transplant AND the hospital has found a perfect donor match, he will have to go through an additional round of chemo before receiving the transplant. This will be another very prolonged stay at the hospital (30+ days) making sure that the transplant goes smoothly. Giving him the necessary blood products as needed, many more bone marrow biopsies, and most importantly, making sure his body is accepting the donor’s bone marrow – this will include closely monitoring his counts to rise in his body naturally to safe and healthy values. After his counts come back up and the team feels confident in how his body is accepting the transplant – he will then be sent home, where he will be somewhat isolated for 30 to 90 days, giving his body all the rest and time its needs to heal completed and to be finally cured. He will be taking many anti-rejection meds and other very important meds as well post-transplant.
Andy’s diagnosis is complicated and challenging, with 16 out of 20 chromosomes showing some type of mutation deficiency. This makes him a high-risk case that requires a complex treatment plan. However, Andy is well-informed about his condition and treatment options, and he has a supportive family that has been tested to see if they can be potential donors for his bone marrow transplant; they all signed up through Be The Match, and we encourage you to do the same
However, he has found an anonymous match and will have his bone marrow transplant on May 9th. With the right support and care, we believe Andy can beat this disease and live a long and healthy life.
Bone marrow transplants are one of the most expensive treatments for cancer today. The total costs of a stem cell transplant are typically $350,000-$800,000, depending on whether the procedure is autologous.
While Andy does carry health insurance, only a portion of his treatment will be covered. All funds raised will go towards Andy’s treatment and out-of-pocket expenses associated with his care during and after treatment.
We invite you to join us in supporting Andy by making a donation to our fundraising campaign. Our goal is to raise $100,000 to help Andy with his medical and out-of-pocket expenses so that he can focus on treatment and recovery. Every dollar will help him along this journey and make a difference in his fight.
As of May 9th, we reached Day 0! Andy received the gift of life from a truly remarkable human being that morning! He will remain at the hospital for about 21 more days, and then will be headed home! He has to hit the 100 day mark for the transplant to be considered a success. We appreciate all of the thoughts and prayers on this special day!
Thank you,
The Burkholder Family