Hello Everyone,
So sorry for the long delay in new posts. My conversations with Stephen have been pretty short because his voice is impaired due to the heavy chemo he is receiving. He is getting his second round of chemo, then will get a break, and before getting his third and final round get a scan to evaluate where he his at. If he has a clear scan after round 3 he will be cleared to get a stem cell transplant. So let's all pray his scan is clear so he can move to the stem cell transplant phase of his treatment.

I spoke with with Patrice this past weekend and she said Stephen has gone on the National Registry for a stem cell donor. Usually the best cells come from siblings. You have to be under 65 years of age and healthy (so Patrice and Brian would be the only siblings that would qualify age wise), but there is a whole list of conditions that could possibly rule them out. If anyone reading this would like more info on being a stem cell donor I recommend going to https://bethematch.org
They are the global leader in bone marrow transplantation and have an excellent website that explains the whole process. Stephen's leukemia is a blood cancer which is often treated by a stem cell transplant.

Stem cells can also be retrieved from umbilical cord blood, which parents can donate after a new baby is born. It's non- invasive, and perfectly safe for mom and baby. Blood is extracted from the cord, not the baby, immediately after the baby is born. So if you know of any expectant couples who might be interested in becoming a donor, it's a very easy way to save a life. Also cord blood doesn't have to be as closely matched to the patient as a marrow donor. That's all for now. I'll try to post more often when I get updates from the family. xo Tina