NOBLESVILLE, Ind. -- The family of cancer patient Michael Treinen says it hopes friends and strangers can help them pick up where his insurer left off.

The 19-year-old's family says it is trying to raise $500,000 so he can get a bone marrow transplant. The Noblesville teen (pictured) had health insurance, but he already has received his policy's lifetime limit of $1 million.

"The only thing we felt we had left with such a critical time issue was just appealing to our friends and family and what, in the end, will turn out to be perfect strangers coming forward and helping us with this goal that we need to meet," said Treinen's father, Tom Treinen.

Michael Treinen, a former Noblesville High School football and lacrosse player, was diagnosed with acute myloid leukemia in May. After undergoing five chemotherapy treatments, he was found cancer-free in December.

However, he had a relapse about a month later. Dr. Terry Vik, of the Indiana University School of Medicine, said a bone marrow transplant is Treinen's best option.

"Rarely, you might be able to beat it with another round of chemotherapy, but a bone marrow transplant in this situation is the way to cure that kind of leukemia," Vik told Call 6 for Help's Rafael Sanchez.

Treinen's family said it hopes to send him to Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle for the bone marrow transplant. However, the hospital will require payment first, the family said.

The family said it hopes to raise the money by Thursday. It is using a Web site to publicize Treinen's cancer fight.

People can send donations to:

Michael Treinen Medical Trust Fund
c/o Mr. Sid Loomis
Harris Bank
107 W. Logan St.
Noblesville, IN 46060