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FIGHTING
BURKITT’S NON-HODGKINS LYMPHOMA — Angel Christal of Bluffton is shown
here with her husband Mike and two sons, Grayson at left and Noah at
right. She is the daughter of former Bluffton residents Bob and Carol
Flynn.By PATTY ELWELL
A pork chop dinner fundraiser will be held Saturday, April 29th from 3 to 8 p.m. at the Wells County 4-H Park to help Bluffton resident Angel (Flynn) Christal.
In December of 2005, Angel was diagnosed with Stage 4 Burkitt's Non Hodgkins Lymphoma.
Tickets are $7 per person. The meal will include pork chop, baked potato, apple sauce, dinner roll, cookie and drink.
Also available that day will be apple dumplings and ice cream for $3.
In addition to the meal, two bands will perform, Warning and former members of Southern Thunder.
Tickets are sold in advance only by calling Chris Dillion at 260-493-2356 or Andrea Grover at 260-824-1501.
Angel's illness began when she noticed a large mass in her abdomen in December of 2005. Her fears were confirmed after undergoing tests that showed the mass in her abdomen and pelvis as enlarged lymph nodes as well as a mass on the right kidney.
Following a biopsy two days later, she was diagnosed as being in Stage 4 of Burkitt's Non Hodgkins Lymphoma. She was sent immediately to Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne to begin intense chemotherapy.
Angel's chemotherapy regimen is very intense and can only be done on an inpatient basis. She received seven rounds of chemo, with each round lasting 21 days. This includes recovery time. Each round of chemo consists of a spinal tap and chemo given through her spine.
She will finish her seventh round of chemo at the end of April, 2006. At that point she will be evaluated by her oncologist by taking a CT Scan and a PET Scan. The results of those tests will determine the effectiveness of her treatment and future plans.
In addition to the chemo treatment, Angel is taking part in a clinical trial option where she is taking the medicine Rituximab. Currently 100 people are taking part in this study. She will be involved in the test for five months with 10 years worth of follow-up.
Angel (Flynn) Christal moved to Bluffton in 1994 with her parents Bob and Carol Flynn and her brothers Adam and Austin. She graduated from Lutheran College in 1998 with an associate's degree in radiologic technology. She is currently employed as an x-ray technician at Bluffton Regional Medical Center.
She is married to Mike Christal and has two children, Noah, age five and Grayson, age three.
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