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Drew’s Crew Colorfest lives up to its name

Event helps with cost of chemotherapy for Aufderheide

Staff photo by Fritz Busch Drew Aufderheide (No. 1000), center, gets colorful with several hundred participants at the Drew’s Crew 5k Colorfest start at Harman Park Saturday. The event benefits Aufderheide who was diagnosed with a rare form of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) leukemia at an unusually young age.

NEW ULM — Drew Aufderheide inhaled deeply before addressing a crowd of several hundred people at the Drew’s Crew 5k Colorfest Walk/Run at Harman Park Saturday.

“It’s been a pretty tough year but I’m taking a chemotherapy pill that has less bad side effects than before,” Aufderheide said at the event that benefits his medical and pharmaceutical expenses that far outweigh his ability to pay for them.

Aufderheide’s spirit was undaunted by his rare illness, Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML), a cancer caused by a chromosomal change that usually affects people in their late 60’s. His medication costs are thousands of dollars a month. Medical insurance pay only a portion of that.

“God blessed us with a beautiful day. Thanks for coming today,” Aufderheide said. “It’s been a challenging year. I missed nine straight days of work because I couldn’t get up.”

On Saturday, he met friends and relatives with a cheerful demeanor and lots of hugs.

Aufderheide walked to the 5k starting line and flung colored powder high into the air as did many others at the run/walk. He walked the 5k course. Other participants including adults and children ran, walked, and pulled infants in strollers.

“Drew would rather talk about things like fishing, hunting and the outdoors than about his cancer,” said his mother, Valerie Aufderheide of New Ulm. “This benefit really helps Drew and his wife Val get through the year.”

Valerie said Drew is receiving medical treatment at the New Ulm Medical Center Chemotherapy/Oncology Department, which consulted with other doctors and medical centers to find a chemotherapy pill with lesser side effects.

CML is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow characterized by genetic change in one’s DNA in which pieces of chromosomes 9 and 22 fuse together. The fusion, called the Philadelphia Chromosome, creates a cancer gene that turns on the unregulated growth of white blood cells.

A group of community volunteers under the co-sponsorship of Christ the King Lutheran Church are working to raise money to assist with covering Drew’s medical treatments and expenses. To donate, visit FundRazr (https:fundrazr.com/campaigns/exjqd To benefit Drew by shopping for his items, visit www.raceentry.com/ drews-crew/5k-colorfest-run/2017/shopping

For more information, visit http://drewscrew.org

fbusch@nujournal.com

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