When the Lakeville South Cougars take on the Hopkins Royals in the high school football playoffs on Friday night, expect to see many fans dressed in orange in support of a player who has been diagnosed with cancer.
Parker Eisinger, a sophomore at Lakeville South, was recently diagnosed with what his family says is an “aggressive” form of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Leukemia is represented by the color orange, which is why Eisinger’s family and friends ask everyone attending Friday night’s game to wear orange.
Friday’s game is at Lakeville South High School, where the undefeated, No. 1-ranked Cougars host Hopkins at 7 p.m. Lakeville South is 8-0 and has everyone steamed, including crushing Hopkins 50-0 last week. It will likely be a large crowd, and Eisinger supporters hope everyone will turn the stands into a sea of orange.
Eisinger had been feeling unwell for several weeks before his mother took him to the emergency room on October 18. That visit to the doctor led to more visits, eventually ending with a cancer diagnosis on October 21. He was also diagnosed with mono.
“At the moment he has now been given a gate and has started his first round of chemotherapy. He could be hospitalized for 2-6 months during treatment. He is only allowed two visitors a day. He will most likely need a bone marrow transfer Kate Peterson, Eisinger’s aunt, wrote in his CaringBridge journal.
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A GoFundMe for Eisinger’s family has been set up with the goal of raising $50,000 to help pay for medical expenses. You can donate here.
“The battle against cancer can be unpredictable and their needs can change in the blink of an eye. If you have this fund to draw from, you can rest assured that finances won’t be an issue at any point during this journey. Parker and his clan, I encourage you to donate here,” says GoFundMe.
According to Mayo Clinic, acute myeloid leukemia is most common in people age 65 and older. According to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, only about 500 children in the US are diagnosed with AML each year.
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