Wardlaw, Chuck – Of Fenton, age 69, was born on September 7th, 1953 and passed away on Friday, January 13th, 2023 as a result of unknown complications. Do not stand at my grave and weep I am not there. I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds that blow. I am the diamond glints on snow. I am the sunlight on ripened grain. I am the gentle autumn’s rain. When you awaken in the morning’s hush, I am the swift uplifting rush Of quiet birds in circled flight. I am the soft stars that shine at night. Do not stand at my grave and cry; I am not there. I did not die. WARDLAW, Charles Joseph, Jr, born on September 7, 1953 in Imlay City. He passed away on January 12, 2023. He is preceded in death by his parents Charles Sr and Hedwig Wardlaw. He leaves behind loved ones, Jeannie, children, Travis (Blythe) Johnson, Vaughn (Lisa) Johnson, Kelsey (Phillip) Maser, and grandchildren Micah, Olivia, Maya, Veronica, Sloan, Anthony, Sawyer, Lucas, and Juniper. A memorial service will be held 2 PM Saturday, January 21, 2023 at Sharp Funeral Homes, Fenton Chapel, 1000 W. Silver Lake Rd., Fenton, MI 48430 with Rev. Dennis Hosang officiating. The family will receive friends form 1 PM - 2 PM Saturday at the funeral home.

DOYLE, Brian Michael – Of Grand Blanc, age 42, was born in Flint, Michigan on October 29, 1979 and passed away on Saturday, June 4, 2022 as a result of an auto accident involving a drunk driver. Memorial visitation 1 p.m. and Memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, June 18, 2022 at the Swartz Funeral Home, 1225 West Hill Road. Cremation has taken place. He was raised in Swartz Creek, Michigan and graduated from Swartz Creek High School in 1998. Brian worked as an electrician since age 18. He became known as a trouble-shooter of electrical problems and his work was that of perfection. Brian was a car enthusiast. He never saw a car that couldn’t look better with special tires, rims and car bling. Brian had deep faith deep within his heart. He gave the best sincere hugs. He loved passionately and he never met a stranger. He had an infectious smile and he was a child at heart, with a knack for goofy quick-witted humor. He made people giggle over the silliest things. Brian loved his country. He was proud to be a true patriot with strong political beliefs. If you knew Brian, you knew his stance on the issues of the day. Family was more important than anything in his life. He loved passionately and if you were his friend, you were a friend for life and if you were down and out, Brian would show up on your doorstep to support. So many introduced themselves as Brian’s Best Friend." He called his parents almost every day, even if he only had a few moments. He ended every call with "I love you guys". He put others needs ahead of his own and was beyond generous. Brian gave in death as he gave in life, as he is a multi-organ donor to the Gift of Life. We suspect whoever received his heart, will be truly blessed. Brian is survived by parents, John and Jeannie Doyle; brother and sister-in-law, Brett and Whitney Doyle; beloved twin nephews; 2 of his biggest joys, Jaxon and Hunter Doyle; uncles, Ron Boros, Jim Boros and Shelly Rowe, and Ron Claerhout and aunt, Linda Geiger; aunt and uncle, Yvonne and Mike Mancik; girlfriend, Danielle Paul; and many loving cousins. Brian was preceded in death by paternal grandparents, John and MaryAnn Doyle; maternal grandparents, Alex and Irene Boros; aunts, Shelley Boros, Diane Boros, Barbara Boros, Dorothy Clarehout and Patricia Doyle and uncle, Bill Geiger. Family is overwhelmed with the out pouring of love and support from all of Brian’s family and friends. It means so much to the family. Our world has gotten a little darker for us, but brighter for Heaven. Brian’s brother said it best, "He flew fast and burned out bright". Those desiring may make contributions to MADD, Wounded Warrior Project or Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

Gerald J. Merritt was born on February 15, 1967 and passed away on May 13, 2022 It is always difficult saying goodbye to someone we love and cherish. Family and friends must say goodbye to their beloved Gerald J. Merritt Jr. (Grand Blanc, Michigan), who passed away at the age of 55, on May 13, 2022. Services at Hill Funeral Home, 11723 South Saginaw Street, Grand Blanc, Michigan Visitation will be held on May 18, 2022 at 4:00 pm Visitation Before Service will be held on May 19, 2022 at 12:00 pm Funeral Service will be held on May 19, 2022 at 1:00 pm Prayer Almighty God, you love everything you have made and wash over us with your unending mercy. We rejoice in your promises of healing, joy and peace to all who love you. In your mercy turn the darkness of death to the dawn of new life, and the sorrow of parting to the joy of heaven; through our Savior Jesus Christ who died and rose again and who lived forevermore. AMEN Introduction We meet here today to honor the life of Jimmy. We give thanks for his life and ask God to bless him now that their time in this world has come to an end. For Jimmy, the journey is now beginning. But for us, there is loss, grief and pain. Every one of us here has been affected - perhaps in small ways, or perhaps in transformative ones- by Jimmy. His life mattered to us all. It is important for us to collectively acknowledge and accept that the world has fundamentally changed with his passing. We are all grieving. Life will not be the same - nor should it be. Together, let us open our hearts and commemorate the impact Jimmy had on us. Second Prayer Eternal God, We pray for ourselves and for Jimmy We stand where Earth and Heaven meet, Where life is brought to death Deliver us from grief, fear and doubt, From despair and unbelief, And bring us to the light of your presence. Grant us that peace which the world cannot give So that we, with Jimmy may trust in you And find our life through you. Lord, you renew the face of the Earth, Gather to yourself Jimmy, whom we have loved, And grant him those things Which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor the human heart imagined. Great Father-Mother God, Watch over us this day - and all days. Give us the strength to accept what is past, To appreciate what is present And to look forward to good in our future. Grant us peace; sacred moments of communion with the Universe And faith - in whatever most expresses our deepest inner truth. Bless us and heal us; breathe peace and grace into our lives Amen. Remarks I would now like to invite to the front anyone who would like to share some remarks about Jimmy Eulogy And now I will invite (close friend/family member) to share their thoughts. The Committal Please stand. Jimmy is now safe. He is already on their way to heaven to enjoy all which awaits there. Let us say this final farewellto his body as we commit Jimmy's physical form to its natural end. Jimmy, we bless you and thank you for being a part of our lives. We honor your life on Earth and we pray for your peace ever-after. We will not forget you. Go well into the kingdom of heaven. Please sit. Closing Words We have been remembering with love and gratitude a life that touched us all. I encourage you to help, support and love those who grieve most. Allow them to cry; to hurt; to smile and to remember. Grief works through our systems in its own time. Remember to bless each day and to live it to the full in honor of life itself - and of Jimmy. We often take life for granted and yet it is the greatest gift God gave us. Blessing The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up his support upon you and give you peace. So then, go in peace, and the God of all peace go with you. Amen.

So Anna Bonser was a great friend of mine. We hung out every chance we could. Not boyfriend/girlfriend at the time but wasn't a lack of wanting to be. Anna told me that she was going to run away from home because of some issues so I quickly volunteered to be her driver. It didn't take long for Anna and I to work out where we were going and how long it would take us. Destination was California. Where in California? No idea and we thought we would figure it out once we got there. I spent much of my savings making sure my 1975 Chevelle was ready and prepared for the long drive. The morning of our runaway we went to the bank for her to pull out her money to help us pay for gas and food. She came back to the car with a $100, which really messes up the plan but I'm committed on going by this point. We start heading down the expressway and about 20min into it she says that she can't go. After making sure she wants to abort her plan on running away, I drop her off at her sisters and kept on trucking... but this is about her so we'll stop that story here. Anna and I loved going to concerts at Pine Knob. Some great memories of chilling on the hill watching Metallica with her. I miss you Anna, miss just hanging out with you.

Internal Medicine (3 doctors) just came in and checked to see how Kate is doing and feeling. Sounds like Chemotherapy is still on the docket for today but we are awaiting Dr.Yang. They checked on how Kate is doing with all the procedures she had done yesterday. She is super sleepy and is passed out now but I think its a good thing. I see its lunch time and I may sneak downstairs and get something to munch on. I love chips but because of all the stroke victims in the hospital I lean away from them since its one of the major causes of a stroke. Actually I have been trying to eat healthy so I can keep taking care of Kate but I may break down and get something non-healthy (meaning something with some flavor) today for lunch like a burger from Wendys. Dr.yang came in at the this time and gave us more information. Results of lumbar punture (spinal tap) proved positive results (no cancer in spinal fluid). He also spoke about treatment which includes: the following once a week (every Monday as out patient): daunorubicin (side effect: nausea, hair loss) - Syringe vincristine (side effect: tingling in hands) - IV bag *constipation is a worry with treatments so much the nurse and doctors ask every time they come in the following every day for 28 days: steroid: prednisone may add another drug week 2 and another drug that is used on children week 3 (rituxan) which focuses on A.L.L. he mentioned things to pay attention to while she’s home which is mainly infection (fever of 100.4 that lasts more than 30minutes she must come to ER). mentioned chemo will reduce platelets which are optimum at 50k but at 30k now and we may notice bleeding when below 10k. —— after Induction period (first 4 weeks) the chemotherapy gets kicked up a notch and is unpleasant and this will happen for 6 months and sounds like multiple visits per week. .. Kates first chemotherapy treatment is coming soon (sometime this afternoon) They gave Zofran (for nausea) and Prednisone (the steroid) today at 14:30 at this time (15:12) kate received the daunorubicin via syringe. Nurse mentioned it is important for oral hygiene since it could create sores in your mouth. Also it will more than likely create red urine. They are also giving the vincristine via IV. COMPLETED adding the daunorubicin and vincristine at 15:30 Kate is doing good. She's groggy but doing okay. Just brought her an ICEE (coke.. uh oh), grilled chicken bits from chik-fil-a and watching TV. Shes not a fan of how she feels because its different than anything else she felt. She is homesick... missing her puppies. I'm saying she's emotional which the doc said a side effect of the medicine. They just put a bag of cefepime and a couple blue pills which we believe is antibiotics (fungal, bacterial, ) Bloodwork at 3am and then more antibiotics at 4:30am unfortunately Kate didn’t get much sleep (which is another side effect of chemo). She’s also nauseous and did have tingling in her feet but she was able to work out the tingling. visit from internal medicine at 7:30am to check on her status. LABs moved up to twice a day because of Chemo they need to keep monitoring blood counts. As of now, morning labs came back with hemoglobin 7+ & platelets 33 so no blood transfusion at the moment. We'll have another bloodwork around 5pm tonight and we'll see what her numbers are then. We are still on track for going home Friday and we are both hoping that stays true since she is going stir crazy being cooped up in the hospital. I may leave today to go get a shower and change of clothes since we are here until Friday. I feel disgusting so need a refresher. Hoping they validate the parking since we have been there since Sunday. Nurses helped kate change into a new gown and I got her a breakfast bagel. They flushed the PICC line to help the machine stop beeping because of blockage. They also recommended her getting up and walking the floor. Bandage for PICC line will be changed before we go home which will be nice even though we are only home for Saturday and Sunday and back on Monday for an all day treatment but its suppose to be outpatient so we'll be able to go back home. She is getting Zofran for nauseous at 9am Kate got another dose of antibiotics and her daily steroid at 10:15am antifungal: diflucan antibacterial: bactrin antiviral: aciclovir steroid: prednisone which she'll get every day during the induction phase (roughly 28 days) And still getting the IV drip of cefepime (2gm/100mL) which is also used to treat bacterial infections. Kate got about 3 hours sleep last night. They said the chemo chemicals would cause sleeplessness. Kate is getting headaches but they give her a Tylenol 3 before going to sleep and it helps relieve the pain and allow her to sleep. They took blood at 5am and Hemoglobin dropped to 7.1 and Platelets dropped to 24k. She is also still getting some nausea but the Zofran does help relieve it. So today we walked around the floor with her pet IV stand closely in hand. She decided to wear a gown with an exposed back which proudly displays the lovely bruises from the bone marrow biopsy and lumbar puncture. We did two Different walks which all together equals about 1/2 mile walked today. they dropped her bloodwork to once a day instead of the typical twice a day. No bowl movement since Tuesday so they gave her some Colace. she should get bloodwork at either 3am or 5am, then blood transfusion. Odd but her hemoglobin has to be less than 7 for her to get a blood transfusion and it was at 7.1 this morning so we all know it will be low 6 probably tomorrow morning which will prompt the blood transfusion allowing Kate and I to go home for the weekend.

Induction Phase It’s 3am on 2/17/2020 and we are in a room on the 9th floor in Karmanos Cancer Facility in Detroit. This is the beginning of the Induction process which in short means the beginning of chemo treatments while keeping a close eye on Kate during the process. The doctor believes this will take less than a week this visit but the Induction process is typically a week. There are four phases to chemotherapy treatment: The first phase is called Remission Induction. Treatment during this phase is designed to kill the leukemic cells in the blood and the bone marrow, putting the disease into remission. The second phase is Central Nervous System Directed Therapy. This phase kills cancer cells in the central nervous system and prevents the disease from spreading to the spinal fluid. The Consolidation/Intensification phase is given after the disease is considered to be in remission. It's designed to kill remaining leukemic cells that may be inactive but could begin growing again and cause the leukemia to recur. This phase usually lasts several months. The maintenance phase is the final phase of treatment that lasts for two to three years. It's used to kill any remaining cells that could cause a recurrence. Medications are often given at lower doses. So her hemoglobin dropped to 6.1 overnight (in less than 12 hours) so they are getting everything together for another blood transfusion (#6). Today she'll also get spinal tap which will inject some Chemo into her spinal cord while they take a sample to test to see if the Leukemia has made its way into the spinal cord.. we are hoping it hasn't. Dr.Yang is a superstar of a Doctor but seriously all of the doctors that we have encountered have been awesome. Our least favorite area was the Harper Hutzel ER room (happy to be out of there). They may take another bone marrow biopsy if Dr.Yang doesn't get back the results from the company they sent the bone marrow biopsy they took in Flint McLaren Hospital. Dr.Yang doesn't want to delay treatment anymore so another bone marrow biopsy is a possibility and he can get the results next day to find out if she is Philadelphia chromosome positive or negative which dictates what ingredients need to be in the chemo treatment. Starting Blood Transfusion now... need to get Kate’s blood count up. Only numbers they are really focusing on is hemoglobin (They want above 7 and its 6) and platelets (they want in the 50’s and it’s in 30’s). Finished transfusion just now and they are now moving into doing a bone marrow biopsy on left side since it was done on the right side. also adding some platelets Good news is they didn’t do a bone marrow biopsy but instead they did something where they just extracted some marrow which I think they called aspired. So Kate earns her hashtag again #k8strong they mentioned MRD testing, need to look that up. next they are adding platelets and will do the spinal tap adding chemo in the spinal fluid at the same time taking some fluid for testing Kate just left to IVR (radiation) for spinal punch. The procedure is roughly 20-40minutes and then there is recovery. They do sedate Kate which she is looking forward to so maybe she could get some sleep. dr.yang got some news from the bone marrow biopsy and they said Kate is Philadelphia chromosome negative but he wants to double-check since treatment is very important to know for sure. So the test he did earlier will give him those results in 24 hours. He did say they are trying to get us a room on the 8th floor which is reserved for chemo patients. They do not want to start chemo until Kate gets on the 8th floor since the nurses here on the 9th floor don’t work with chemo. now we wait for procedure. Just spoke to Dr.Yang as he made a visit on his way out for the day. he recommends Kate lay as flat as she can when she gets back to the room for 2 hours preferable but 1 hour minimum. he said there is no reason why they can not start chemotherapy tomorrow which will consist of two drugs for chemo and she will have to take one pill (steroid) orally. The steroid she will take daily and the two chemo injections she will do once a week. More than likely she will need another transfusion but the current tentative goal is go home Friday and come back Monday. Repeat process for a total of four weeks which would conclude the Induction process at which time they want to get more blood marrow to see if the cancer cells are declining. Kate got some food in her and now she’s fighting through some pain (with the assist of some pain killers) and maybe one more dose of pain killers before she tries to get some sleep. im hoping to sleep on a cot or anything besides these chairs which are not comfortable. i really need to thank our friends And family for helping take care of our dogs while we are gone. It’s a huge stress for Kate and I being so far away but everyone seems to be helping relieve the stress and I seriously can’t thank u enough. it appear the remaining of our night will be hopefully uneventful so don’t be surprised if you don’t see anymore posts tonight (unless something negative happens). we just got moved down to the chemotherapy floor (8) so now we are in room 8223 her hemoglobin is down to 7 so they are going to give her a blood transfusion. Kate got some sleep and woke up on her own at 4am because she had to pee. The nurses then did bloodwork to see if her hemoglobin is back up from 7.4 now that she had a unit of blood last night. white blood cells 1.3 (normal is 4-11) and platelets 35 (normal is 55+). Kate's fed, she took a tylenol 3 for pain (pill), allopurinol (pill), antiviral (pill), anti-bacterial (pill) and an anti fungal (oral liquid) medicine. Now we wait for Dr. Yang to give us the game plan for today.

What is a Lumbar Puncture - Spinal Tap During the time you are fighting cancer (especially A.L.L.) you will have to received several Lumbar Punctures or also referred to as Spinal Taps. So what are they? Lumbar puncture, also known as a spinal tap, is a medical procedure in which a needle is inserted into the spinal canal, most commonly to collect cerebrospinal fluid for diagnostic testing. The main reason for a lumbar puncture is to help diagnose diseases of the central nervous system, including the brain and spine. A lumbar puncture (spinal tap) is performed in your lower back, in the lumbar region. During a lumbar puncture, a needle is inserted between two lumbar bones (vertebrae) to remove a sample of cerebrospinal fluid. This is the fluid that surrounds your brain and spinal cord to protect them from injury. A lumbar puncture can help diagnose serious infections. Sometimes doctors use lumbar punctures to inject anesthetic medications or chemotherapy drugs into the cerebrospinal fluid.

11:00pm they brought her down for x-ray Gave Kate tordol at this time for her headaches. when we came in they gave her via an IV (not using PICC line) cefepime 2gm which is an antibiotic. we are watching 2.5 men (the era that Charlie sheen still existed) just had a visit from the Karmanos doctor on duty which did a quick evaluation of Kate. Going to transfer Kate up to a room in Karmanos, just waiting. So Karmanos doctor on duty came in and did some more checking while we wait for a room. She mentioned Kate’s hemoglobin is down to 7.2 and her white blood cell count is at 1.7, so now we wait for her room Got our room (9203) in Karmanos on the 9th floor but was told they may move her to 8th floor.. but not sure when. I'm thinking Kate would really just like to sleep. FYI: room is HUGE.

Arrived at Harper-Hutzel Hospital (it's attached to Karmanos and they address after hours concerns with Karmanos patients) Just saw Dr.Woolman. Man he was a talker. Not giving Kate a chance to answer any questions. They asked these questions: when admitted to Mclaren (flint): Tuesday the 4th. When bone marrow biopsy: 2/6/20 when was picc line installed: 2/6/20 last transfusion: 2/7/20 did they give you any medicine: dexatron (2/7/20-2/10/20) 40mg a day for the 4 days. When did you learn for sure Kate has ALL: bone marrow biopsy confirmed Kate has ALL on 2/10/20 allergic to anything: no taking any medicine: allopurinol (300mg) because music acid high, norco 7.5mg for discomfort for bone marrow biopsy but hasn’t taken any anything doctor should know? we noticed bleeding from picc Line. mentioned she had a bloody nose NOTE: We are going to avoid Harper Hutzel Hospital as much as humanly possible.... horrible!

Fevers are no good Tonight Kate developed a fever (running 100.5) and whats scary is they say if you have Leukemia and get a fever you must go to the nearest Emergency Room since its more than likely an infection which can prove to be fatal. So right now we are calling 1-800-Karmanos to find out what they want us to do. Patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) present with either symptoms relating to direct infiltration of the marrow or other organs by leukemic cells, or symptoms relating to the decreased production of normal marrow elements. Fever is one of the most common symptoms of ALL, and patients with ALL often have fever without any other evidence of infection. However, in these patients, one must assume that all fevers are from infections until proved otherwise, because a failure to treat infections promptly and aggressively can be fatal. Infections are still the most common cause of death in patients undergoing treatment for ALL. The doc called Kate and said she needs to immediately get down the the hospital because it means it could be infection. Loading up the car and heading down as fast as we can since the doctor expressed urgency.

Home Care Nurse Visit Last night Kate called the Support line for the Homecare nurse complaining on how much the bandage hurts after they redid it during our Hospital visit yesterday (Friday). Kate was complaining of a burning sensation and very uncomfortable. A homecare nurse showed up and was very polite and helped explain how to clean the pic line with basically salt water and yea, I got my intro on how to do this myself for Kate. She re-bandaged it up and Kate kept thanking the nurse because it was like night and day difference. She is no longer after the polite home care nurse re-bandaged Kates pic-line. Now if I could only get Kate to relax... I'm trying to restrict her some so she doesn't get her blood flowing. In my mind, more blood flow means the quicker the cancer can spread since it is a cancer of the blood. Of course thats my logic and I really don't want to loose my wife. What is a PICC Line? Below is a pretty good illustration but its basically a quick way for doctors to pull blood from within having to re-stab kate with a needle every-time. It's also a place for the doctor to administer the chemo treatments. She has to keep moving that right arm so it doesn't get buildup on the line as well as get clogs.. we don't want to get clogs in the line which is why I get the pleasure of flushing the line out daily. I am glad she is more comfortable now. Kareta had hers in her chest & that seemed constantly uncomfortable. So glad she doesn't have it in her chest. So much love & many prayers being sent!

Abby Angel Gift Came home from a tough appointment today to find a care package waiting for Kate. one of the sweetest women at Mclaren health plan is always looking out for how she can encourage and help others. One of those ways is through her “Abby Angel’s”. She lost someone and decided years ago to light the path for others struggling by giving these angels when they are needed. It is an honor to be gifted one by Lana because it means that she is now a warrior for your battle. We came home today to a package of an Abby Angel from Lana’s personal collection to watch over and protect while we fight this battle. Words cannot express the thoughtfulness and encouragement that this angel and sweet Lana has instantly brought to our home. Thank you all for being part of our warrior tribe. With this much determination, there is no way we won’t succeed in our battle.

Karmanos DETROIT Visit 1 About to go to bed but figured I'd post a quick update about our first visit to Karmanos in Detroit and our visit with Dr. Yang (2.14.2020). We were given Valet so getting in wasn’t too bad and traffic down from Davison was quick. Front staff that checked us in was very professional and then a guide brought us to the room on the second floor where we had a pretty brief wait before being called back. Dr. Yang is another great doctor that is very knowledgeable. Leukemia is his specialty and he is very informed on Kate’s condition. He mentioned it’s typically found in kids (under the age of 12) with around an 80% success rate of fully cured within three years. If she was 70 years old she would have a 10% chance of survival with treatment. Dr. Yang said she might be somewhere in the middle being 34 years old but he wants to treat Kate as a child which means it’s more aggressive chemo. So estimated treatment is: 1-3 months of very aggressive chemo treatment First 4 weeks is induction Then 6-7 months aggressive chemo Maintenance Kate will have 20 spinal taps over the course of three years to make sure the leukemia hasn’t entered her spinal cord since it wants to get to her brain which would be not a good thing. Unfortunately she will have to have multiple bone marrow biopsies to monitor the progress chemo is having on the cancer located in the bone marrow. During this process she will have routine blood transfusions to get her blood numbers up since chemo will bring them down. Eventually after chemo kills the cancer cells, her bone marrow will hopefully start producing good cells. How the doctor explained it is the good cells are getting pushed out or over run by all the leukemia cells. So chemo will hopefully kill this leukemia cells. Monday Kate’s hemoglobin was 8.8 and then Thursday (yesterday) it was 8.7 and when measured today it was down to 8.3 Apparently when your hemoglobin drops to low you run the risk of bleeding and not able to stop the bleeding. They told us if Kate begins to bleed and we can’t get it to stop within an hour that I should drive her to the ER at Harper Hutzel which is attached to Karmanos and they will admit her then. Scary stuff. Ran into a little worry. Tonight (9:25pm) Kate began to have a nose bleed (her first ever). It luckily stopped within the first 10minutes because if it didn't stop in an hour we would of been heading back down to Karmanos via the Harper-Hutzel Emergency Room.

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) What is acute lymphoblastic leukemia? Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a cancer that affects the white blood cells. These cells fight infection and help protect the body against disease. Patients with ALL have too many immature white blood cells in their bone marrow. These cells crowd out normal white blood cells. Without enough normal white blood cells, the body has a harder time fighting infections. ALL affects a type of white blood cell called lymphocytes, causing them to build up in the liver, spleen and lymph nodes. How common is acute lymphoblastic leukemia? ALL is the most common type of childhood cancer. It most often occurs in children ages 3 to 5 and affects slightly more boys than girls. ALL is most common in Hispanic children, followed by those of white and African-American descent. About 3,000 people younger than age 20 are found to have ALL each year in the United States. Siblings of children with leukemia have a slightly higher risk of developing ALL, but the rate is still quite low: no more than 1 in 500. What are the symptoms of acute lymphoblastic leukemia? Symptoms of ALL include: Frequent infections Fever Easy bruising Bleeding that is hard to stop Flat, dark-red skin spots (petechiae) due to bleeding under the skin Pain in the bones or joints Lumps in the neck, underarm, stomach or groin Pain or fullness below the ribs Weakness, fatigue Paleness Loss of appetite Shortness of breath How is acute lymphoblastic leukemia treated? Expect your child’s ALL treatment to include three phases: Induction — to kill the leukemia cells in the blood and bone marrow and put the disease into remission (a return to normal blood cell counts) Consolidation/intensification — to rid the body of any remaining cells that could begin to grow and cause the leukemia to return (relapse) Maintenance — to destroy any cancer cells that might have survived the first two phases Four types of treatment may be used during any of these treatment phases: Chemotherapy (“chemo”) — uses powerful medicines to kill cancer cells or stop them from growing (dividing) and making more cancer cells. Chemo may be injected into the bloodstream, so that it can travel throughout the body. Some chemo may be given by mouth. Combination therapy uses more than one type of chemo at a time. Stem cell transplant — includes replacing blood-forming cells in the bone marrow that have been killed by chemo and/or radiation therapy: A stem cell transplant gives the patient new blood cells from a donor’s blood or bone marrow. These cells grow into healthy blood cells to replace the ones the patient lost. Some types of stem cell transplants may be called “bone marrow transplants” because the cells come from the donor’s bone marrow. Radiation therapy — uses high-energy X-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells or stop them from growing. Targeted therapy — uses medicines or other treatments that target and attack specific cancer cells without harming normal cells. What are the survival rates for ALL? The National Cancer Institute (NCI) estimates 5,960 people will receive a diagnosis of ALL in the United States in 2018. About 1,470 people will die from the disease in 2018. Several factors can determine survival rates, such as age at diagnosis and subtype of ALL. The five-year survival rate in the United States is 68.1 percent, reports the NCI. However, these numbers are steadily improving. From 1975 to 1976, the five-year survival rate for all ages was under 40 percent. Although most people who receive a diagnosis of ALL are children, the highest percentage of Americans with ALL who pass away are between the ages of 65 and 74. In general, about 40 percent of adults with ALL are considered cured at some point during their treatment, estimates American Cancer Society. However, these cure rates depend on a variety of factors, such as the subtype of ALL and age at diagnosis. A person is “cured” of ALL if they’re in complete remission for five years or more. But because there’s a chance of the cancer coming back, doctors can’t say with 100 percent certainty that a person is cured. The most they can say is whether or not there are signs of cancer at the time.

So over the course from Tuesday night when Bridgett took blood (2.4.2020) to Saturday (2.8.2020) noonish my wife had to get bone marrow biopsy so they can determine what blood disease she has. Initial thought from the hematologist was a-plastic anemia but after the bone marrow biopsy it said it was for sure Leukemia but not sure which kind until results are back from Karmanos Cancer Research in Detroit which we received FINAL confirmation yesterday that it for sure is Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) or otherwise known as acute lymphoblastic leukemia which in children under the age of 12 has a good chance for cure and in adults they says there still is a chance to be cured. What is a Bone Marrow Biopsy? A bone marrow biopsy involves removing a small sample of the bone marrow inside your bones for testing. Bone marrow is a soft tissue in the center of most large bones. It makes most of the body's blood cells. The biopsy is done using a small needle inserted into the bone. We met with Dr Eilander, Karmanos Flint, on 2.13.2020 and he was fairly confident in the diagnosis and treatment but strongly/highly recommended Dr. Yang located at the Karmanos in Detroit which we have an appointment with him tomorrow (2.14.2020) I’m sure I’m missing pieces since my head is drowning in knowledge of what this disease is. I have to apologize that my time is reduced since I am doing everything I can to support my wife while she is going through this without breaking down myself. It’s insane to think of a time where we were both healthy and just enjoying the day probably stressing about stuff that doesn’t even matter today or involved in drama that goes away. Everything now seems so minor (except our Health Insurance).

We get pulled in the back room they look at what her doctor sent over and they wanted to double check for themselves so they also took her blood. In a few minutes they came back and said, “How are you walking?” When her doctor pulled her blood her hemoglobin was at a 5 (normal for women its between 12-15) and her White Blood Cells were at 1 (normal is between 4-11). Now in the ER her hemoglobin is down to 4.3 and her white blood cell was down to less than 1. NOW they are giving her a ton of attention and she immediately gets two bags of O negative blood (since she is O+) at the fastest rate they can perform a blood transfusion which is at 150 in hopes to get her blood levels up. Kate said it felt so cold entering her body and it tasted aluminum in her mouth reminded her of a Pepsi which is disgusting to her. She asked for the coke version of O- but I guess they didn’t have any. Did another blood work (checking to see if its raising her counts) and it did slightly but required a total of 5 bags of O-.

September 16, 1977 - January 20, 2022 Michael J. Zgleszewski, Jr., a resident of Canton, passed from this life on January 20, 2022, at the age of 44. Michael was the beloved longtime boyfriend of Cindy Weaver and loving stepfather of Luke Weaver. He was the cherished son of Michael and Kathleen Zgleszewski and the dear brother of David (Laura) Zgleszewski, who are all residents of Delaware. I personally know Michael working at Ally in the Global Command Center as the Manager at Ally Financial Inc. He was a just a good person always wanting to learn and got pretty good at working magic in a tool we leveraged called ServiceNow. I miss him but never forget him and I don't want to forget him. Like I said he was a very good man who brought good to this world we live in and the people he surrounded himself with. There will be a memorial gathering on Tuesday, January 25, 2022 at the L.J. Griffin Funeral Home, 42600 Ford Road (W. of Lilley) from 1:00 p.m. until the time of his memorial service at 3:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to the Eagles Autism Foundation https://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/eaglesautismfoundation/ BELOW, reply and share a fond memory you have to spread what a wonderful person he was to those that may not have known your relationship with him.

Deborah Michelle Dickson, age 55 of Canton passed away on December 31, 2021. She was born in Fort Sill, Oklahoma to her parents, Doug (Ann) Schroeder and Carole (Rick) Brown. Deborah is the loving and devoted mother of Ryan and Hannah; dearest sister of Curt (Margot) Schroeder, Cindy (Greg) Maurer, Chris (Kelly) Schroeder and Jen Schroeder. She is also survived by her mother-in-law and father-in-law, John and Betty Dickson and her brother-in-law, Greg (Ingrid) Dickson. She is the most caring Dog Mom to Elliot and Mimi to her grandkitty, Kuzco. She was left widowed by her husband, Mike Dickson. She is deeply loved, and will be greatly missed by her aunts, cousins, nieces and nephews, and friends. Deborah worked at Target for over 30 years and was very knowledgeable in the store. Often guest and other co-workers would look to her for help or a nice chat to catch up. She dedicated her time to the children’s ministry at church and helped with AWANA, where she was able to be young again with the kids and dance to all the songs. Throughout her life she helped in Ryan and Hannah’s classes at school, with whatever they might have needed. She made a lasting impact on many and she will continue with the legacy of her life, including her children. Friends may visit the Schrader-Howell Funeral Home, 280 South Main Street, Plymouth on Friday, January 7, 2022 from 2:00 P.M. until 9:00 P.M. A Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, January 8, 2022 at Calvary Baptist Church, 43065 Joy Road, Canton, Michigan. For those who cannot attend and wish to view the Funeral Service in a safe environment, the funeral service will be live streamed. https://player.vimeo.com/video/663715265?h=46f6d32c5b

Yesterday Deb Dickson was like everyone else, doing the laundry, making dinner and went to bed thinking of what needs to be done the next day to keep her family going. During the night Deb got a brain aneurysm which is a bulge or ballooning in a blood vessel in the brain which ruptured and the doctors declared her brain dead. BELOW, reply and share a fond memory you have to spread what a wonderful person she was to those that may not have known your relationship with her.

The disadvantage of going with 8' panels (which have three 2x4's with around 17 dog ear boards) is they are set for a completely even ground and many landscapes aren't exactly even.

Our friends need help to build a privacy fence since they are getting crazy high quotes of tens of thousands of dollars to build a simple privacy fence. Here are the basics on how I attack building a privacy fence Getting Started Preparation mark out where your fence is going call miss dig to make sure you aren't going to hit any under ground wiring get a building permit from your city measure the total area (length of each leg) to help price out material Gather tools and material To dig a post hole and set a post in concrete, you’ll need some tools: Post hole digger or power auger (the towable auger at home depot is roughly $124/day and can be operated by one person and saves your back) Cordless drill Screws (2" deck screws for a 5lb box around $30/box and the 1-1/4" deck screws for a 5lb box run around $30) Hammer Box Level Tape Measure Flat Shovel Bucket/wheel barrow to mix concrete in Heavy String (500ft is around $10) Quick-set concrete (an 80lb bag should cover 2-3 posts on avg and costs around $5/bag) Access to water Wooden Stakes (used to mark out the fence line, todays cost for a 12pack of 1 in. x 2 in. x 2 ft runs around $7) 4x4 8' pressure treated boards 2x4 8' pressure treated boards 6" x 6' Dog Ear fence boards Mark your fence run The first step to any fence project is marking the exact location of your fence run. To do this, drive stakes into the ground at the corners and ends of your fence run. Stretch heavy string between the stakes and pull tight. This string line will help you set your fence posts in a straight line. Mark your post hole locations Next, you’ll want to mark your post hole locations along the string line. Post hole spacing is dependent on the width of your fence panels and the method by which you are attaching them to the posts. Typical post spacing is 6-7 feet, but can vary depending on the width of the fence panel. I don't like going past 7' since you'll start noticing over time fence sagging. There are two main methods for attaching the fence panels to the posts – Face Mount or Between the Posts, for our fence we are going with Between the posts since it incorporates the 4x4 posts and makes the fence look good from either side. Start digging Now that we’ve marked our post locations, it’s time to start digging. In general, the post hole should be one third as deep as the fence is tall. So, if you’re installing a 6-foot tall fence, your 8' post hole should be at least two feet deep. You’ll also want to be sure the bottom of the post sits below the frost line. Hole is typically 6" wide by 2' deep. You can use a post hole digger or power auger to dig the hole. A post hole digger is a manual tool and will get the job done in average soil. If you have hard, rocky soil or a lot of roots – you may want to opt for a power auger. Many home improvement stores have them available for rent. Set posts in holes Set your post in the hole. Check for plumb and make sure the front of the post is just touching the string line. This will help you set your fence posts in a straight line. Having a friend help you will make this much easier. Pour the quick-setting concrete mix directly into the hole and pour water on top. Mix it up with a shovel in the hole, which will simultaneously remove air pockets. Once the concrete is thoroughly mixed, push some soil back on top of it. Re-check that your post is plum. NOTE: I will use a wheelbarrow to mix my concrete to a peanut butter consistency. With a hose I'll wet the bottom sides of the 4x4 that is in the hole and then start shoveling with my flat shovel the concrete from the wheel barrow into the hole using a stick or the handle end of the shovel to stab the concrete in attempt to remove any air pockets. Then once I verify the post is plum/level on the two sides, I'll pack the concrete by using my hand (with a glove) and then covering it with dirt. Pause for concrete to set Typically I like to wait for 12 hours after pouring concrete in the holes to let the concrete set and harden. Its no good to have done all that work to have your posts move on you while you are trying to install the dog ears. Mark 4x4's On each 4x4, from the ground up, measure 12" and mark. Measure 38" from bottom of 4x4 and mark. Measure 64" from bottom and mark. You'll want to see these marks on each of the inside of the 4x4's (the side that is facing the next 4x4) Install Rail Brackets Since we are going Between the posts for a cleaner look, we utilize Galvanized Rail Brackets that we attach to the inside of the 4x4's (bottom of rail bracket on the lines you marked at 12, 38 and 64" from the ground). Place rail bracket with bottom of bracket touching the marked line and put one screw in at the top of the rail bracket. Using a level measure vertically to make sure its straight up and down and run another 2" wood deck screw in the bottom of the rail bracket. Continue this until you have three rail brackets on each side of every 4x4. Again, you should be using 2" Wood Deck Galvanized Screws (they don't rust). Attach Pressure Treated 2x4s in Rail Brackets Measure length between 4x4 to 4x4 and cut three 2x4s to length and slide into Rail Brackets and fasten 2x4 to rail bracket using 1-1/4" Wood Deck Screws. Run Guide String 4x4 to 4x4 Using that heavy duty string. Run from top of 4x4 to top of 4x4 so you know how high your dog ear boards go (never higher and never lower). To attached string you can put a screw in the top of the 4x4 and wrap string around screw then tighten screw. Attach dog ear boards There are two major kinds of dog ear boards. The inexpensive pine at todays prices in Michigan is around $2.50 a board but typically when you see a privacy fence that looks dirty its typically the pine since it doesn't weather well but looks great for the first year. Another choice is to use the more expensive cedar at around $4/board here in Michigan at todays prices. Using your 1-1/4" Wood Deck Screws you attach the dog ear board to the 2x4's keeping a small gap between dog ear boards for expansion.

July 7, 1961 - March 12, 2021 Born July 7, 1961, Daniel (“Dan”) Brian Hunt in Ferndale, Michigan, Dan suddenly passed away Friday, March 12, 2021 from cardiac arrest. Dan graduated Boston University with a bachelor’s in computer science major. He used his training to launch a small personal computer distribution company. Soon after, he learned he was meant to leave the business aspects to others and work solely with computers and their users. Dan spent the remainder of his career at various technology firms. He began at Electronic Data Systems and, most recently at DXC Technology. All the while, he honored his love of animals through his work with African Safari Wildlife Park and International Animal Exchange with his beloved wife, Shwu-Ying, from transporting, caring for the animals, to providing technology solutions to promoting the park at zoo conferences nationwide. Dan grew up exploring the backyards of Michigan and an Irish village in Canada, preparing him for a summer with cheetahs and rhinos in Kenya at age 14. He embraced adventures to Japan, Germany, Mexico, Netherlands, France, Cuba, and Taiwan, escorting animals to Dubai, skiing on slopes of Telluride , diving into the deep blue sea surrounding the Keys, running the Boston Marathon, riding vintage cars in Miami, always discovering hidden treasures in new destinations. He was an avid golfer and enjoyed playing with league buddies. His constant friendship, clever wit, generous nature and unfailing openness will be deeply missed, especially by his beloved wife Shwu-Ying(Chen) Hunt, stepson Lian Reaser, parents Jean and Brian, sisters Holly, Julie and Heather, nieces Elizabeth, Stephanie and Anna, brother-in-law Steve, and many, many dear cousins, aunts, uncles, friends and colleagues. Funeral service will be held Saturday, March 20, 2021 at 11:30 AM at Heritage, Weddington Chapel at 3700 Forest Lawn Drive, Matthews, North Carolina. Visitation will be held prior to the service from 10:30-11:30 AM. A celebration of life will follow this summer in Michigan.