| January 4th The day of the transplant had arrived. Chris and Juliana went to Children's Hospital to prepare for surgery. Bridget and Jared went to Fred Hutch to prepare for radiation treatment. Jared was taken down in a basement to a place known as the "TBI" room - which stands for "Total Body Irradiation". While beautifully painted with a scenic mural on the wall, it is a sealed concrete room from which radiation emits from the floor. He was placed in a small wooden crib encased in plexiglass. This 23 month old baby was expected to stay in this room for 35 minutes with only his bottle, a snack, and a small TV playing the Teletubbies. A nurse and technition were able to watch Jared on a monitor within a control room, but Bridget (and those there to support her) had to sit in a small waiting area anxiously praying that Jared would remain safe and not be crying or frightened. This one event held the potential to be the most traumatic of the whole transplant process, but it evolved to be inspirational. When Bridget initially placed Jared in the crib, he was surprisingly happy and even waved goodbye. When she went in to retrieve him, he was still smiling, chattering, and pointing to the crib calling it a house. The technition said it was due to his good coping skills, but it was clear that his Gaurdian Angels had been there keeping him company. After the radiation, Bridget and Jared headed for Children's Hospital where Juliana was having the surgery to harvest her bone marrow. Juliana's procedure went very well. The doctors were pleased with the amount of marrow they were able to draw from such a young person. Juliana was taken to recovery and her bone marrow was taken downstairs to the oncology unit where Jared was waiting. The bone marrow transplant infusion began at 4:23pm and would last a total of 7 hours. With the marrow hanging from an IV pole and a long tube connecting it to his hickman line, Jared went for walks and rode around the unit in a wagon. He had no concept of the magnitude of event that was taking place - the incredible gift of hope his sister had given him. Nor did he have any worry or concern regarding its success. January 10th Jared was released from the hospital and allowed to return to his home-away-from-home. With the transplant behind him, it is now a time of waiting and of praying. There will not be a reliable indication of the success of the transplant for months. In the meantime, Jared will be seen daily at Fred Hutch. His blood will be drawn and tested. His parents will be giving him several medications, both orally and through the hickman line, which will protect his body from infection and help it to accept the new marrow. They will also be administering IV fluids to keep him hydrated. Juliana is now fully recovered from her surgery and will soon be attending school at Fred Hutch. February 1st Blood tests have indicated that Jared's red blood cell count has been low; therefore, he will receive a blood transfusion. Jared�s neutrophil (a white blood cell) and platelets have also been low; therefore, he has been receiving antibiotics through IV and injection. He has also received units of platelets. While this is a concern, it is not unusual. An engraphment study was also recently performed. This showed that Juliana�s marrow makes up 25% of Jared�s system. While this number is promising, it does not mean much at this point. It is really just considered a baseline. Another engraphment study will be done mid-April (100 days post transplant). This study will be the one that truly indicates Jared�s progress. February 2nd Jared's 2nd Birthday!!!!!!!!!! |
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| Jared receiving the bone marrow transplant. |
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| Juliana with the cake she helped make for Jared's private birthday dinner for four. |
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