November 24, 2014 at 4:00 PM
Kyle McConkey – son of Unifor 2002 activist Ross McConkey – is an 18 year-old
boy from Tsawwassen, British Columbia who is fighting for his life.
In early November, Kyle and his family learned that his ongoing battle with a
rare form of leukemia was failing. Now, the family is looking to a new and
experimental treatment that is only available in Seattle and not covered by
insurance. The $250,000 treatment is the last hope to save Kyle's life.
Since being diagnosed two years ago, Kyle has undergone two transplants. The
first was a successful bone-marrow transplant provided by his younger brother.
The second procedure did not have the same result and was deemed ineffective.
Now, a new clinical trial at the Seattle Children's Hospital to treat
leukemia is giving Kyle, his family and the rest of the country hope that his
illness will be beat. This new experimental procedure uses the patient's own
immune system to fight the disease; an alternative to chemotherapy.
"I'm so so proud of him,"said his father. "We're going to try
everything.
Just weeks ago, we thought there was no hope."
An online fund has been set up to support the McConkeys. You can contribute
by clicking here.
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Tags: #kyle #ross #leukemia #tsawwassen #cherylrobinson