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This memorial website was created in the memory of our loved one, Michael Krysiak who was born in Italy on May 23, 1973 and passed away on August 08, 2005 at the age of 32. We will remember him forever.
A woman I know named Hiromi asked me to write a few paragraphs about Mike's strength during his battle with Leukemia. She is training for a triathalon to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and wanted some words of encouragement for the others on her team. The following is by no means a comprehensive account of the events between March 8, 2005 and August 8, 2005, but they give an idea of Mike's courage. I will love my husband, Mike, forever.
My husband, Mike Krysiak, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in March of 2005, a couple weeks after our son's first birthday. He was not given a good prognosis as he had an astronomically high White Blood Cell count, Central Nervous System involvement and a T 4:11 translocation (crossing over of two chromosomes). The outlook was dismal, just a 5% chance of survival. Mike was the most fiercely competitive person I have known, however, and didn’t let the odds crush his optimism. During his first chemotherapy treatment, Mike, his brother, and I played improvisation comedy games and laughed until our cheeks were sore. Mike also endured at least ten lumbar punctures to treat the Leukemia in his brain and spinal cord and faced severe headaches that kept him in bed for weeks. Yes, he was miserable, but he kept going.
In April, the news was exhilarating. Mike was in complete remission. The University of Minnesota decided to put him through one more round of chemotherapy before bringing him in for a bone marrow transplant; his only chance for survival. I drove Mike to St. Joseph’s hospital every day for four weeks for treatment. To get through the days we would play with our son Josh or play travel Scrabble. Unfortunately, Mike relapsed during treatment.
Mike spent more and more time in the hospital with fevers and infections. He was so wiped out. There was no more hope for him in Minnesota. We called around and the only place offering any kind of hope was the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington. Mike and I were preparing to move out there with our son, Josh, for as long as it took. They were going to perform a bone marrow transplant even though Mike was in active disease. Unfortunately, Mike’s condition worsened quickly. I left St. Joseph's one evening in late July only to get a call at 7:00 in the morning that Mike was in Intensive Care. He was dying when the nurse found him without a blood pressure. Mike told me it felt like an explosion when they brought him back to consciousness. His kidneys had failed and he was also diagnosed with a condition that caused tiny blood clots to tear into his internal organs.
On August 7th, Mike and I sang to each other and he got to watch part of a Chicago Cubs game. He told me his goal was to make it to the 8th, and asked if that was OK. I didn’t realize he was saying goodbye. His stability deteriorated rapidly. I stayed up with him until 4:00 in the morning and realized he didn’t have much time. I made sure I flipped the wall calendar to the 8th so he knew he had realized his goal. Even though he was confused and in shock, twenty minutes before I watched Mike’s body die, I knew he was saying “Seattle.”
Mike would have done anything to be here with his family. He was all heart. Please open your hearts and support Hiromi and her team. Thank you.
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Click here to see Michael Krysiak's Family Tree |
 Tributes and Condolences |
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Dear Mr Hallmark / Marilyn Barnes
Dear Mr Hallmark I am writing to you from heaven,And though it must appear, a rather strange idea,I see everything from here; I just popped in to visit,Your stores to find a card, a card of love for my mother,As this day for her is hard, th...
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| Michael's Photo Album |
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