Leukemia Awareness

Daren and Jenny North are the owners of Top Cleaning & Restoration ULTD out of St. Johnsbury, VT.

In 2018, Jenny’s journey with blood cancer started like so many others, with seemingly unrelated and vague symptoms. For about two years, she struggled to piece together the medical breadcrumbs that would lead her to a diagnosis. She experienced extreme fatigue, headaches, and shortness of breath for over a year. She had been in touch with her physician and had been in and out of the hospital multiple times without any answers or reasons other than it could be stress related. While no news is usually good news, Jenny knew something was wrong with her body and just kept pushing through the day to day duties of the business and family life.

Early morning in September of 2019, Daren and his wife were stunned as they found themselves in the Emergency Room at Dartmouth Medical Center. They didn’t have much time to mull over this sudden, unexpected diagnosis of APL Leukemia, a form of blood cancer. Jenny was told that due to her extremely low white blood count levels, had she not come in, she would have had maybe two days to live. By early afternoon, a bone marrow biopsy was performed, and chemotherapy had begun. They spent six weeks in the hospital as the battle to survive Leukemia had begun.

Jenny was in and out of the hospital for just shy of a year. Two different forms of chemo were used simultaneously for five weeks at a time, with a three week break before the next round. Due to potential heart concerns, Jenny was not able to do outpatient treatments, and was closely monitored.

With these unique circumstances, came a large hospital bill … reaching nearly $1 million dollars. Daren and Jenny made their monthly payment as required to avoid going to collections. In October 2020, Jenny was about to make her next scheduled payment, but was instead surprised to find a $0 balance.

Daren and Jenny were informed that The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society had stepped in to help and paid the remainder of their hospital bill. Elation and relief set in for this couple.

Today, January 2022, their lives have returned to normal. Jenny is healthy and keeping to her every three month check-ups, looking forward to the day she can say she is fully cured.

Daren and Jenny have now begun a second business adventure with Top Dawg SoftWash. Together they feel the need and desire “to pay it forward”, and help others who are in need of a little extra help.

Here at Top Dawg SoftWash, Daren and Jenny welcome your help. All window cleaning proceeds will be donated to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and goes to help other blood cancer patients.

~ Jenny North

CLICK the logo below to learn more and be directed to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society website.