Exactly one year ago today we were all at home as a family for the last time.  Caleb was feeling more and more like himself, putting on weight, regrowing his hair, and seemingly on the homestretch of his treatments.  He was one week away from his fifth birthday!

He still had around 4 months and maybe 4-5 cycles of immunotherapy treatments to complete; no picnic, but they were becoming more routine.  Without complaint, he would get through each day of shots, labs, dressing changes, and the occasional late-night ER visit.  He still had many scans, medications, and probably a lifetime of caution, appointments, and terrified parents overanalyzing every cough and fever…but he was going to be ok.

On this night last year, we put Camille to bed, and Caleb, his mom, and I stayed up and played (and beat) his Nintendo Lego Incredibles video game that he loved so much.  Brooke took a picture that night, which we have shared here before, of him smiling with pride about his accomplishment.  

Around 45 minutes later we were rushing to the ER in Oakland due to sudden and extreme pain and swelling in his abdomen,  Early the next morning he was in emergency surgery and intubated for the next 2 months.  We never got to hear his voice again.

During those last 2 months in the PICU at UCSF, through his birthday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, he required many blood, plasma, and platelet transfusions.  

During the first 2 months in the PICU at Kaiser following his initial diagnosis and equally scary complications, he required repeated transfusions.  

During his more “routine” and typical treatments and recoveries he required MANY transfusions.   

His life was continuously saved by these transfusions, as are the lives of EVERY person, adult or child, battling cancer.  I remember 3 times when he received the last available bag of blood, or there were questions about bags being available.  

It's hard to convey how normal this was for him, but we posted a “Beads of Courage” journal below that helps visually depict this.

Tomorrow we are one week away from his 6th birthday.  To honor his courage and celebrate his birthday, we are asking anyone and everyone to join your local Red Cross and schedule a donation of blood, plasma, or platelets in his name that will directly save others' lives.  Brooke and I will be donating platelets on Tuesday.

American Red Cross

Toy donations to the pediatric department at UCSF and Kaiser can be another way to celebrate Caleb’s birthday.   The hard-earned toy surprises and bingo prizes always brought him moments of joy during his awful times in a hospital room.

UCSF Toy Donations