Adin is an 11-year-old boy from Illinois who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia in November 2014. Two days after diagnosis, Adin and his mother, Kathy, relocated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Tennessee, leaving behind Adin’s father and three older siblings.
The sudden move to Tennessee was difficult for the entire family. Adin’s father, Jeff, stayed in Illinois to work and care for Adin’s three siblings. Complicating his treatment, Adin was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder as a young child. Because of this additional challenge, Adin must have a parent by his side at all times. In order to provide relief to his wife and support to his son, Jeff drove the 2,000 miles round trip from their home in Illinois to Tennessee almost every weekend.
As Adin prepared for a bone marrow transplant, his family’s financial situation quickly deteriorated. They were faced with the loss of Kathy’s income and a reduction in Jeff’s due to childcare responsibilities. The travel expenses to and from Tennessee every week drained the family’s savings and left Kathy and Jeff unable to pay their monthly bills and worried about how to provide basic needs for their four children.
The family contacted The Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation for support during Adin’s treatment. The foundation immediately reached out to Family Reach and within a few days of receiving the referral, Family Reach provided funding for two months of the family’s car payment and electric, gas and water bills. This financial relief provided Kathy and Jeff a much-needed break from their daily struggle to provide for their four children.
Kathy and Jeff contacted Family Reach a second time in May 2016, requesting additional support. Following Adin’s bone marrow transplant in 2015, the entire family had to move to a new home. The family home in Illinois was deemed unsafe for Adin to return home to, so Kathy and Jeff used what little money they had been able to save on moving and relocation costs.
Eighteen months after his initial diagnosis, Adin is still required to travel to Tennessee several times each month for treatment and to address the significant side affects and complications that he is experiencing. With support from the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation, we are proud to have been able to step in and provide financial assistance to this family along their journey. We admire the incredible strength of this entire family as they continue to support each other and fight leukemia. All of our love to Adin!
