Unhooked!!

GREAT NEWS ABOUT KETHAN!

It's official -- engraftment of Kethan's mom's stem cells has occurred!!!! We've always known Kethan to be our little fighter... He is showing once again! Thank you for all the love and prayers, Team Kethan!

Today is day +17, and 26 days inpatient! Kethan is doing well so far. His white blood cell count has gone up, and he has an ANC of 1370! If his ANC is still above 1000 tomorrow, they will officially declare him "engrafted". So, fingers crossed, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, out of the hospital and into our home soon. Thank you everyone for all the positive energy, prayers, e-mails, cards etc.

This Good Morning America story is a must-see! Please register as a bone marrow donor. You never know whose life you might save. This beautiful African American woman was saved by a wonderful, selfless stranger, a Caucasian young man. I always thought that you could only match someone from your own race or ethnicity, but it ain't necessarily so!!! Thank you so much to Vicky Ellison for bringing this to my attention. :-)  Click on the link below to watch/read the story:

Cancer Survivor Meets Her Bone Marrow Donor for First Time on GMA

It's Day +11 and Kethan continues to be doing quite well! He is still having fevers, but they are becoming less frequent and the doctors don't believe they are due to an infection. Go Kethan! We love you and are rooting for you!

Update on Kethan

It's Day +7 and Kethan's mom writes,"Fevers have started! Hope they are not infections. Kethan is still doing well, aside from the fever, which actually, fingers, toes and everything else, crossed, seems to be at bay. Apparently, fever and transfusions are daily occurrences in the BMT world!"

 

 -This photograph was taken on Day +6, before Kethan started running a fever.

It's Day +3 and Kethan's mom reports that, for the most part, he is doing o.k.! He's feeling bored and would like to go home to Austin. Just waiting for his mom's stem cells to engraft... 

Update on Lanham, Maryland Bone Marrow Donor Drive

Team Kethan Maryland registered 36 donors of South Asian descent and approximately 15 more donors online. Thank you to Sharmini Campos, Jaya Sinnathamby, Ashvin Sinnathamby and Vikram Sinnathamby! Go Team Kethan!

Latest photos of Kethan, post-transplant

Kethan's Re-Birthday, 8/10/2012!

Day 1, having my morning cup of tea!

Today is the day that Kethan receives his bone marrow transplant! The next 30 days are critical as we wait for engraftment of the transplanted stem cells. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you to everyone for your support and friendship.

Bone Marrow Donor Drive in Lanham, MD on 8/11/12

 

If you are in the Lanham, Maryland area this weekend, please stop by the Sri SivaVishnu Temple (6905 Cipriano Road) between noon and 4 p.m. to "get swabbed" and save a life! The registry needs YOU!

Update on Kethan

Thankfully, Kethan responded remarkably well to the monoclonal antibody therapy he received in Houston, and he achieved remission in a short period of time.  Because his leukemia is so aggressive, the doctors have said he needs a bone marrow transplant right away.

Unfortunately, there is still  not a matching donor in the bone marrow registry and time has run out to find one, so the doctors are moving forward with an alternative treatment.  Kethan's mother will be the stem cell donor ("haploidentical related donor").  While she is not a perfect match, the doctors have found ways to improve patient outcomes with "haplo" donors.  Kethan's doctors are very pleased with his response to the monoclonal antibodies and seem optimistic about the transplant.

Kethan is currently receiving the pre-transplant preparatory regimen (chemotherapy and total body irradiation).  God willing, the transplant will take place this Friday, August 10th, his Re-birthday!  Following the transplant, he will be inpatient for 30 days in Houston.

Thank you very much for all of your support. Please keep Kethan and his family in  your prayers!