PARKSLEY, Va. (WAVY) — An Eastern Shore fire medic is reaching out for help after he was diagnosed with a form of leukemia.
Parksley resident David Turner shared his recent struggles in a GoFundMe post created by Wayne Marshall with the Parksley Volunteer Fire Department.
Turner, who volunteers with Parksley and also works with the Accomack County Department of Public Safety, says he first went to the hospital back in June for pain he thought was connected to a fire call. But on June 22, he learned that he had ph+ b-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
This comes just years after he says his mother Nikki died from breast cancer at the age 36. Three years later in 2020, his sister Emma died from brain cancer just days after her 16th birthday. David says he’s learned he has a cancer predisposition syndrome called Li Fraumeni Syndrome that his 8-year-old daughter has also tested positive for.
He’s since undergone a clinical trial for his cancer that was unsuccessful, as well as several rounds of intense chemotherapy at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. He said in the post on Monday that he’s currently in the hospital receiving a bone marrow transplant, where he’ll stay in the weeks after as his immune system recovers.
He’ll then have to stay about 20 minutes away from VCU for months after being released as he goes through the recovery process. He’s asking for $10,000 to help him rent a place during that process.
“My family and I would be so grateful for any type of donation, big or small, it will help us get through this difficult time,” Turner wrote.
Four hours after the post went online, Turner had raised just over $1,500 toward that $10,000 goal. You can donate here.
