Here is a message from Kethan's mom:

"Hi everyone!

Today is 52 days post-transplant, and I am happy to say that Kethan is doing well. Last Wednesday, we did another Bone Marrow aspiration/biopsy to check his graft status. They told me that he is currently one hundred per cent donor!! His overall counts are recovering slowly. They say that his marrow has seen so much chemo over the last 6 years, they are not surprised by this. His counts have stabilized, and in fact he has not needed any transfusions in 3 weeks. So, the journey may be slow, and long, but we are going in the right direction ...., and hopefully closer to home."

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!

Progress Report [July 30]

Yesterday was the big drive in Austin, Texas! Here are the results of yesterday's drive:

• Number of donors registered yesterday: 359
• Donations accepted yesterday: $6,756
• Online donations to date: $345
• 30 online requests from Austin for kits over the weekend

Thank you to all who came and who have been spreading the word!

Bone Marrow Donor Drive This Weekend in Austin, Texas!

Sunday, July 29th, 2012
12:00 p.m.- 5 p.m.
Ronald McDonald House
1315 Barbara Jordan Blvd. (next to Dell Children's Medical Center)
Austin, Texas 78723
Free Parking

You can change the odds for patients like Kethan and so many others in need of a bone marrow transplant. All it takes is a simple cheek swab, and you can become a hero in waiting. Please join us on Sunday and bring along some friends! All ethnicities are needed and welcome! We need to BROADEN and DIVERSIFY the registry! TOGETHER WE CAN DO THIS!!

Attention Everyone in Arlington and Sugar Land, Texas

Date: Saturday, July 21st, 2012
Time: 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Place: Grace Preparatory Academy
               3300 West Interstate 20
               Arlington, TX 76017


Date: Sunday, July 22, 2012
Time: 11am to 4pm
Place: Udipi Cafe
              3551 Highway 6 S  
              Sugar Land, TX 77478

Progress Report [July 20]

Two weeks ago, there was a bone marrow drive for Cure for Kethan in Tampa, Florida. Thanks to Dr. Vijay Mehta and the donors, 95 people have been added to the bone marrow registry! With your commitment, we are saving lives.

Please take a few minutes to watch this eye-opening MSNBC story...

http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/48142203#48142203

Progress Report [July 19]

Last Sunday, July 15th the Dallas/Fort Worth Hindu Temple conducted a drive where they added 75 individuals to the bone marrow registry! To top it off, they will be holding drives every Sunday for the next 3 months. Thank you, D/FW Hindu Temple for your outstanding work. A special thank you to Mahalakshmi Sivakumar for taking charge and to Mr.Chinni and Mr. Sriram Raju for their support. We truly are making progress and should keep this momentum going. Together we can build the registry!

Save the Date: Austin, TX

BECOME A LIFESAVER!

BONE MARROW DONOR DRIVE                                           

Sunday, July 29, 2012

12:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Ronald McDonald House

1315 Barbara Jordan Blvd.

(next to Dell Children’s Medical Center)

Food for Thought

FACT: Blood cancers affect people of all ages, races, ethnicity, nationalities, and religions. The odds of finding a compatible bone marrow donor (for anyone) in the database have been likened to finding a needle in a haystack. Because the markers used in matching are inherited, patients are more likely to match someone from their own race or ethnicity. 

FACT: Ethnic and racial minorities (Asian, Hispanic, African-American, Native American, Pacific Islands) are severely underrepresented in the U.S.'s National Marrow Donor Program, making their odds of finding a perfect match devastatingly low. YOU CAN IMPROVE THE ODDS for children like Kethan and so many others desperate to find a life-saving compatible donor.

ACT: Kethan's family URGES you to get registered as a bone marrow donor! One day, someone in your own family or circle of friends may need a match and not find one in the donor database. Please share with everyone you know how important it is to BROADEN and DIVERSIFY the bone marrow donor registry. It benefits each and every one of us. Let’s all do our part and “get swabbed”!

Houston, we have a DRIVE!!! For Kethan!

Sunday July 22,
11am to 4pm.
At Udipi Cafe on Hwy 6, Sugar Land.

3551 Highway 6 S, Sugar Land, TX

Be there. Bring friends and family and get swabbed.
Volunteer. We need you to help Kethan win this battle.

If you are not in Houston, spread the word regardless. It will make its way to folks in Houston. Be The Match is partnering with us.

Attention Everyone in Dallas/FW Area

Here are the details for a drive this Sunday!

Date: July 15th 2012 

Time: 11:00AM - 02:00PM

Place: DFW Hindu Temple

          1605 N. Britain Road, Irving, TX 75061.

Progress Report [July 12]

Last Saturday, July 7th, Global Organization for Divinity with the help of the Hanuman Temple in Frisco were able to register 79 new donors!  Thank you to all who helped at the drive and donated. A special thanks to the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center for their support. We are on the right path to find the match for Kethan!

Kethan: News of the Day [July 12]

A Message from Madhuri Kumar:

My son Anmol and I visited with Kethan yesterday. He is doing great. Doing just what the doctor ordered- eating and exercising to get stronger for the Transplant procedure. Each day brings him closer to being ready to receive the donor Bone Marrow. 

Team Kethan, time is not on our side. Let's pick up the pace in our efforts. Get swabbed and get your friends and family swabbed. 

Saving a life gives one a joy of the greatest achievement - nothing is better!

Attention Everyone in KL and the East Bay Area

Just a reminder that there are TWO bone marrow donor registration drives coming up this week!


Kuala Lumpur Marrow Donor Registration Drive

Date: Friday, July 13th

Time: 8:30 a.m.

Place: Institute for Medical Research (IMR), next to the General Hospital of   

          Kuala Lumpur (GHKL). 

RSVP: Please email Siew Chin Duraiappah at siewchin.tan@gmail.com to 

          let her know you are coming and receive more details. 

Everyone will meet in front of the IMR building at 8:30 a.m. sharp. 

East Bay Marrow Donor Registration Drive

Date:  July 15, 2012 (DKMS, CA)

Time: 11 a.m.-6p.m.

Place: BAYVP Annual Picnic at Fremont Central Park,
Fremont, CA

Hope to see you all there!

What does being a bone marrow donor involve?

•  Registering is quick and easy!  After eligibility is determined, you will be asked to swab the inside of both cheeks with a cotton swab. The process, including some paperwork, takes 5 to 10 minutes.  Approximately 3 weeks later, your name and contact information will be placed on the National Marrow Donor Program’s registry. 
•  If you are found to be a match for Kethan (or another patient), you will be contacted and asked to come for further testing to confirm that you are match. 
•  Today, most donations (70-80%) do not require surgery but are done through Peripheral   Blood Stem Cell Donation (PBSC), a procedure similar to donating blood. In the remaining 20-30% of cases, a short painless outpatient procedure is required. For more information, please visit  http://www.dkmsamericas.org/educate. 
• YOU COULD POTENTIALLY SAVE A LIFE!

Team Kethan, we CAN change the GAME for Kethan! But in order to do so, we have to ACT and ACT NOW. Get involved in any of the various drives being organized. Sign up to get swabbed. With every registration, we improve the odds. Madhuri Kumar is organizing a drive with Puja Mishra in Houston, Texas. If you are in the Greater Houston area or have family or friends in the area, spread the word. Make the rallying call. Reach Team Kethan Houston at madhuri36@gmail.com.

Bone marrow donor drives for Kethan and others will be held in Austin, Houston and Brisbane, Australia later this month. The dates and details are still being determined, so please check this blog periodically and the "Cure for Kethan" Facebook page for the latest information! Also, there will be a drive in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia THIS Friday. Please see the post below for details.

Calling all of Kethan's friends and family in Malaysia!

There will be a marrow donor drive next week in Kuala Lumpur sponsored by Kethan's family in Malaysia. Below are the details:

Date: Friday, July 13th

Time: 8:30 a.m.

Place: Institute for Medical Research (IMR), next to the General Hospital of   

          Kuala Lumpur (GHKL). 

RSVP: Please email Siew Chin Duraiappah at siewchin.tan@gmail.com to 

          let her know you are coming and receive more details. 

Everyone will meet in front of the IMR building at 8:30 a.m. sharp. 

Kethan's friends and DKMS are planning a big bone marrow donor drive in Austin, Texas. Please stay tuned for the date and time! If you are willing and able to help plan the drive, please join us at the Kick-Off meeting on Sunday July 8th at St. Andrew's Episcopal School (Lower School), 1112 West 31st Street, Austin, TX, 78705. The meeting will be held at the Lower School Library. Please e-mail any questions to teamkethan@gmail.com. 

Here is a picture of Kethan that was taken on 5/18/12, the day he received an iPad3 from his schoolmates at St. Andrew's School. The students came together to buy Kethan a gift that he could enjoy during his extended hospital stays.

Let's work together to find this beautiful boy a bone marrow match!!

Sunday July 15, 2012 (DKMS, CA)
BAYVP Annual Picnic at Fremont Central Park,
Fremont, CA

Dear Friends of Kethan,

My name is Alejandra Gonzalez and I am a friend of Kethan and his family.  I am organizing a group of volunteers to help with a community-wide bone marrow donor drive in Austin, Texas for Kethan and other patients, and I need your help! We will be holding a kick-off meeting on Sunday, July 8th from 4:00 pm-5:30 p.m. at the St. Andrew’s School Lower School Library. The school's address is 1112 West 31st Street, Austin, Texas, 78705.

We are working with DKMS, the world’s largest bone marrow donor center, to organize the donor drive. A representative from DKMS will be at the meeting to lead us through this process. It sounds like the process is well organized and straightforward; we just need troops on the ground to get the momentum going! Please let me know if you are able to make it to this meeting.You can contact me at teamkethan@gmail.com. Thank you!