Hello, friends! I always have it on my to-do list to update Caring Bridget more frequently, but it always seems to get pushed to the bottom of my list. We have been having lots of fun since the last update - summer was full of fun adventures, a new baby brother, a fourth birthday celebration, and lots of visits with family and friends.

SCANS
Tripp's scans in May, July, and October were CLEAR and we continue to be thankful for how well he is doing. Since his scans in July were a year off-treatment, he was cleared from his CHOP team to switch to scans every six months! That said, MSK, as part of the vaccine trial, requires scans every three months for the first two years of the trial. Thankfully, we are able to have the scans done at CHOP, so we don't have to travel to MSK. Please continue to pray for Tripp and our family.

VACCINE TRIAL/BONE MARROWS
Tripp received his seventh shot in November. This round gave us a bit of excitement, as Tripp broke out into full body rash/hives after receiving his first GMCSF shot. Everything was fine, but he and Kurt did head down to CHOP ER after we spoke with the team at MSK. After speaking with MSK, they are pulling Tripp off of the GMCSF arm of the trial. This type of reaction is not uncommon, especially in kids who have received a lot of the GMCSF. It's hard to believe we're almost done with the trial-we go twice next year, then once at the end of 2025.

Tripp had his final bone marrow biopsy of the clinical trial in November. We're happy to share that his results came back clear.

HEARING
Tripp had an Audiology appointment in April and there was some fluid build-up, as well as multiple ear infections, so he was scheduled for ear tubes! He got his tubes in May and we had a follow-up Audiology visit in early October. No fluid in his ear and his hearing was slightly better than his April appointment. His hearing isn't improving, rather, coming back to baseline since there isn't fluid in his ears to block anything. Overall, his hearing loss is stable, which is better than seeing it get progressively worse. He's wearing his super ears more frequently, which is great! His speech is improving and he talks all day long. We love hearing Tripp and Gracie talk, as well as hearing them chat with baby brother.

Tripp is doing lots of growing and loves being a big brother. He's an avid Philadelphia sports fan, but his favorites are the Union, Phillies, and Eagles. We are so proud of our best buddy!